Into the Unknown
by Kalyana
Summary: Haku and Chihiro must make a dangerous journey far beyond even the Spirit World in order to ensure that they can be together. And of course, it's CH. Hey, look, it's ch. 14! That's right, it's really, actually here!
1. How it begins

Aside from the stacks of boxes that littered the floor and one solitary piece of furniture-a comfortable bed with blue sheets-the room was utterly bare. No pictures adorned the walls, there was no desk, no chairs, no knick-knacks anywhere. At least not yet. Chihiro lay quietly in the aforementioned bed, a goofy smile plastered on her face despite the state of her new room. Her family had just arrived at their new home a couple hours ago, and had only managed to set up their beds and a few other essentials before collapsing with exhaustion. 

Chihiro sighed and pushed herself up gently to turn off the light before plopping back into bed and closing her eyes softly. Memories of the bathhouse and the Spirit World drifted lazily across her tired mind. She recalled her adventures there, the good and the bad alike, but one moment in particular played over in her mind repeatedly. She fondly recalled her last few minutes in the Spirit World with Haku, those precious moments that had filled her with so much hope and love. Had it really only been a few hours since she had crossed over from that magical place back into the human world? Her longing to see him again made it seem as though it had been far longer.

Hours dragged by as she lay there smiling, snuggled against her pillow, until finally sleep came and overpowered her senses.

~~~     

Haku sat in Yubaba's office, staring at the witch pointedly. She returned her apprentice's gaze with a light smirk playing on her large lips.

"So, you want to be relieved of your duties? What about the contract?" She asked slowly, rapping her fingers on her desk. Her numerous jeweled rings caught the light from the lamp above her and reflected it onto Haku's disgruntled face.

"Yes, I want to be relieved of my duties. I no longer wish to be your apprentice or serve under you. I must leave this place; I have something very important to do. I promise I'll make it worth your while if you grant me my freedom and destroy the contract that binds me to you," Haku responded.

Yubaba studied the boy warily before replying. "I'm…intrigued by your offer, but what I need is some feeling of security. You always were a selfish little thing, how do I know you aren't giving me a false promise that you don't intend to keep?"

"I always honor my promises," he said with a stern conviction that surprised the old witch slightly. _I hope you know that Chihiro. I always keep my promises, and I will keep my promise to you…_Haku thought to himself, willing the girl to hear his thoughts, no matter how far away she was. 

"Alright, it's a deal," Yubaba cackled after a moment's hesitation. "But if you defy me, there will be consequences for you, very grave consequences," she continued, her voice dropping to a dangerous, low whisper as she leaned over the desk towards Haku so close that he could feel her stale breath on his face. Haku sat in quiet determination, never breaking his stare on his employer's face. Yubaba leaned back, and with a snap of her fingers, Haku's old contract appeared and then burst into flames, and a new one was created in its place. Haku's green eyes glanced over the parchment. When he was satisfied with the terms of their new agreement, he signed his name, "The Kohaku River."

Shortly after leaving the witch's office, Haku took the form of a graceful silvery-white dragon, and launched himself into the sky. He scales glistened under the soft light of the stars as he glided under them. He had begun a journey that would take him far beyond the Spirit World and into the Dream World, a place where he hoped he would find the means to fulfill his promise to Chihiro. A promise that he wanted to keep more than anything he had ever wanted before. 

~~~

It was a month later when Haku and Chihiro were reunited, though not in the way Chihiro had expected they would be.

~~~

Author's Notes: Ok, so the first chapter isn't great (sorry), but I'm working on it, and I hope it'll get better with time. There will be a plot, I promise, as well as some excitement, and of course some romance too. This is my first fanfic, so reviews and suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks! Oh yeah, and all standard disclaimers apply, as in, I do not own the movie "Spirited Away," I'm not making any money, etc., etc. 


	2. Enter the Dream

Author's Note: Well, you made it through the horrible first chapter (congratulations), hopefully this one is a little better! I'm still sort of setting things up in this chapter, but I promise there will be some "excitement" soon. Man, this fanfic stuff is harder than I thought it would be. More notey stuff at the bottom.

Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I do not own "Spirited Away" and am not making any money from this story (though I sure could use some…)

~~~

It had been a month since her time in the Spirit World, and Chihiro felt something akin to homesickness when she thought of it. True, it wasn't her home, but being there had given her a sense of place and purpose that she had never felt so strongly before. With her mind wandering back to Haku, Lin and her other friends, Chihiro walked upstairs to her room. She took off her school uniform and changed into pajamas before crawling into bed and burying herself under the covers. She was doing well in school, and had made some friends in her short time in her new town, but couldn't help but feel lonely at times. 

She reached up onto the dresser that sat near her bed and grabbed the hair tie that Granny had given her. She looked down at it affectionately and then made a tight fist around it and clutched it to her chest. A warm feeling embraced her, and she forgot her loneliness for a moment. She rested her head against her pillow and fell asleep, the hair tie still held firmly in her hand.__

~~~

            Haku's lithe dragon form had allowed him to travel quickly and relatively comfortably, but after weeks of going almost non-stop, he was beginning to feel the wear on his body. In his excitement at the prospect of seeing her again, he'd pushed himself too hard, too fast. His muscles seized up painfully while he was mid-air, causing him to jerk his slender back and howl in discomfort. He descended quickly and collapsed to the ground in pain. He reverted back to his human form and lay still for some time, curled in a fetal position. As he felt himself slipping into unconsciousness, he mumbled one word, "Chihiro."

~~~

            _Ugh, it's raining again…_ Haku thought to himself, _why does it always rain when I'm trying to_- he snapped awake suddenly and realized that he had been asleep, and that it was not, in fact, raining. He looked up just in time to see a very large, and very wet tongue lick him across the face. A cry of surprise threatened to escape his throat, but he suppressed it quickly.

            He sat bolt upright and wiped off the slobber that coated his face, muttering to himself and looking down at the creature that had awakened him in such a "friendly" manner. What he saw was a small creature that resembled a fluffy white cloud in every way, except that it had four short little legs and two wide gray eyes that stared up at him happily. He searched for any signs of a mouth on the animal, but found none. _Where is he keeping that tongue?_ Haku wondered nervously as he raised an incredulous eyebrow. 

            "So, what are you doing way out here? And where exactly is here?" he asked the little cloud-creature. The only answer he received was a blank look and a sneeze. "Alright, so you're no help," Haku sighed as he stood up and surveyed his surroundings. _I wonder how long I was asleep; it could have been hours, days…I've lost enough time already._ "Well, wherever I am, I can't stay here any longer. I have to find the Dream World, I must be close by now," he said absently. At this, the cloud-creature perked up and squealed excitedly at Haku and then sped off into the distance. Haku stood still for a moment, mildly confused, but quickly regained his composure and ran after the little fluff ball. 

Within moments, he was standing before a large pearly white staircase that led up to an arch made of clouds a few hundred feet above the ground. "The entrance to the Dream World!" Haku mumbled in awe. He glanced over at the cloud-creature who was sitting at the foot of the stairs and looking entirely pleased with itself. Haku chuckled and shook his head, causing his hair to swish gently around his face "maybe you aren't so useless after all." He stretched and began his ascent towards the gateway that led to the Dream World.

~~~

            The Dream World was an odd place to say the least, even when compared to the Spirit World. The two worlds functioned in much the same way; daytime was the time for relaxing and sleeping, but once night fell, everyone was expected to get busy and do their share of the work. The Dream Masters, a brother and sister, presided over the lands, ensuring that everything ran as smoothly as possible. The male Dream Master was known as Kyo, and was easily the more eccentric of the two. He was a genius, no one would deny that, but he was also a little bit "cracked" as the more polite Dream World denizens put it. He acted as the creative consultant for dreams, crafting them and giving the Dream Players suggestions. Kyo's sister, the female Master, was called Lysha, and was the voice of reason. It was her duty to make sure that dreams ran smoothly and efficiently. If things weren't running like a well-oiled machine, she got upset, and no one was safe from her wrath until the problem was solved. Together, Kyo and Lysha made the perfect team, and were regarded with high esteem among the inhabitants of the Dream World.

            The lesser inhabitants, the Dream Players, were the "actors" in the dreams. By day, all the players resembled humans, but their bodies were made entirely of cloud and smoke. At night, they shifted forms, and took on whatever shape was necessary for the particular dream they were acting in that night. A Player could become a monster, an animal, or any number of things. A Player was given assignments by the Dream Masters, and then took the appropriate form and enteredthe mind of the assigned human as he or she slept. Once inside, a player followed the carefully created script for the night, paying attention to each detail. A player had only one day to memorize the script for the night, so it was difficult work. It was hard to keep up, as there were a great number of humans, and not always enough dream players as were needed, but somehow they always pulled through.

 It was a world unlike any other, and though few realized its full importance, its existence was essential. The Dream World was something of a crossroads between the Human World and the Spirit World; here, a spirit could be connected to a human within a dream. For this reason, the Dream World was the most important place in the universe to Haku at the moment.

~~~

Once through the archway, Haku's senses were flooded with the sights, smells and sounds of the Dream World. The entire area around him was covered with thick clouds of blue and purple and the air was fragrant and heavy. It had the effect of making one drowsy and caused Haku to yawn widely. _No, stay focused, you have to find the Dream Masters and ask for their help_ he chided himself. He looked down at the little cloud-creature that was still following him, "You've helped me get this far, and for that, I thank you, but I have one more request of you. Can you lead me to the Dream Masters, if you know the way?" The little cloud looked excited at the idea of another job, and hopped off in the direction that Haku hoped would take him where he needed to go.

~~~

Author's Note: Ok, so it's still not all that exciting yet, but I'm still trying to establish some things. I promise that in the next chapter, Haku and Chihiro will meet again and there will be a nice little reunion for all the C/H fans out there. Oh, and Haku meets the Dream Masters too, which could prove to be interesting. Also, in the next chapter, the plot will finally reveal itself, and the actual story will start. Think of all the stuff so far as prologue. For those of you who have made it this far, thank you! I love you. And also, the Dream World and everything in it is just a bunch of stuff I made up, so…yeah. And I know that lots of people have done the whole "Chihiro sees Haku in her dreams" thing, but I'm just trying to give a different spin on it. I don't know. Please, leave a review if you have any comments, criticisms, etc. Thanks! 

              


	3. Reunion

Author's Note: Thank you so much to the people who have reviewed thus far (you know who you are), I really appreciate it! You make me happy. Now, with that out of the way, on to the story!

Disclaimer: Nope, not mine, sorry to disappoint you

~~~

            As Chihiro slept peacefully, wrapped in a cocoon of blankets, her dreams were invaded by a new and powerful presence. She welcomed the invasion happily. (AN: dream stuff will be in italics for now)

            _She was walking through the field just beyond the tunnel that separated the Human and Spirit Worlds. It was a place of incredible beauty, one she hadn't seen in over a month, though it felt more like a year. She looked down at herself, only to find that she was wearing a simple white dress that flowed gently around her with each step, something she would normally have objected quite loudly to wearing, but somehow seemed fitting at the moment. The long grass tickled her bare feet and her legs and the air carried the smell of the_ _wildflowers that dotted the landscape. She sighed in pure contentment and sat down on the cool ground. For several moments, she sat alone, admiring the beauty around her. Suddenly, she felt something cool touch her shoulder._

_            She whipped her head around, only to find her herself staring straight into a pair of soft green eyes. Her breath caught in her throat as realization dawned on her, and she found herself unable to speak. She sat in absolute shock. It was not until Haku leaned in towards her and murmured her name "Chihiro" that she was pulled out of her stupor. She had been told numerous times before how pretty her name was, but never had it seemed so beautiful to her as when he had whispered it into her ear at that moment. Still at a loss for words, she did the only thing she could think to do, and wrapped her arms around his neck in a tight embrace. He returned the gesture, and they remained that way for quite some time. Neither one knew how much time passed as they sat that way, but in truth, neither one cared._

_ Finally, Chihiro spoke up. "You're here, you're really here," she choked out, on the verge of tears, "I knew you'd keep your promise! I've missed you."_

_Haku looked down at her with a grin, "I would never break my promise to you, Chihiro, I've never met anyone like you before. You…you're very important to me. I hope you know that." He paused for a moment, and his face fell slightly. "However, I feel that I must tell you, this is only a dream and when you wake up in the morning, none of this will have seemed real. But it _is_ real, you must remember that. You see, I was able to find a way that we can be together. I found a way for me to be with you in your dreams."_

_Chihiro gasped, and then looked confused. If it were not for her time in the Spirit World, she wouldn't have believed any of this, but her time there had taught her that most anything was possible. "I don't understand, can you explain a little bit more, maybe?"_

_Haku nodded, and then launched into his story of his journey to the Dream World._

~~~Flashback~~~

            Haku had been pursuing his new friend through the Dream World for some time now. This was no easy task, considering the small cloud-creature blended into his surroundings quite nicely, and was moving at a decent clip. Fortunately, Haku's keen eyes and quick feet allowed him to follow with less difficulty than most others would have faced.  

            He was beginning to feel discouraged, until he turned a corner and saw a large building before him. This _had_ to be the place. Sure enough, the cloud-creature was heading straight for it. Haku walked up to the massive structure tentatively, somewhat apprehensive about making a request to the rulers of the Dream World. Despite his concern, he set his young features into a determined look that made him appear much older than he actually was. His plan was going to work; he would make sure of that.

            Once inside the building, Haku was nearly swept up in the sea of bodies that filled the place. Dream Players were everywhere, no doubt waiting to receive their assignments for the night. He attempted to locate a sign or some indication of where he could find the Dream Masters, but was unsuccessful.

            _Young man, follow my voice, it will lead you to me_… A voice echoed inside his head. It was distinctly feminine and at the same time, very authoritative. The voice continued to speak to him softly, guiding him down a series of twisting hallways and through large, elaborate doors. Finally, he found himself in a large room that was entirely bare, save for two large chairs that held two finely dressed figures.

            "Oh lovely, our guest has arrived!" the figure on the left, a man with thick blonde hair that hung into his eyes exclaimed. He clapped his hands together in delight and began chattering excitedly. "You know it's been so long since we've had a visitor like yourself. It's so wonderful to see a spirit like yourself. I really do adore the Spirit World, but unfortunately my duties have kept me from taking a trip there for nearly a millennia. Pity, really. Things have been so dull around here lately, it's such a treat to see a new face." He paused for a moment to study Haku. "My, you look so very _solid_. Made of much stronger stuff than we Dream folk. I'm afraid we're all really just big bunches of fluff." As if the illustrate his point, the man reached his right arm up and passed his hand right through his neck, so that his head was now quite detached from his body. The disembodied head smiled down at Haku, "But of course, there are some perks as well," he reached his hand up again and pushed his head back down onto his neck. "See, no harm done, now I'm as good as new."

            Haku was a little bit put off by this display, but let his face reveal nothing. "My name is the Kohaku River Spirit, and I have come to ask you a great favor," he said evenly, bowing his head.

            "Oh, how very rude of me, I've forgotten to introduce myself. My name is Kyo, Master of the Dream World," the man responded, standing up at gesturing wildly before taking a bow.

            "And I am Lysha, the other Dream Master," said the woman who had remained silent up until now. She remained in her seat to the right of Kyo. Unlike her brother, she had long, dark hair that cascaded down her back and spilled onto the floor. Haku recognized her voice as the one that had led him to this room. "We have been expecting you for sometime now."

            Haku glanced from Lysha back to Kyo. "I have made a long journey to see you, so that I may make a request of you." He paused for a moment, but when neither of the two Dream Masters said anything, he continued. "I would like to ask that I be allowed to be the primary actor in a certain girl's dreams. She is…a good friend of mine, but she is also a human, and I fear that the only way for me to see her at the moment is through her dreams. I am currently unable to enter the Human World. Please, I ask that you allow me access to her dreams, so that I may visit her while she sleeps."

            Haku finished, and the room remained silent for a long moment. Finally, Kyo responded, "What a fascinating idea! My, I don't believe we've ever done anything like that before, giving someone a permanent assignment, much less giving a someone from _outside_ the Dream World any assignment at all. It sounds like an interesting experiment. Oh, let's let him do it, Lysha," he said, grinning absurdly over at his sister.

            "It's against policy," she replied curtly, "I don't like the idea of someone who is unfamiliar with our ways interfering with a human's dreams."

            "Oh come now, look at the poor boy, can't you tell he loves this girl? It's obvious," Kyo said with a smirk and a wink in Haku's direction. Haku blushed suddenly, caught a little off guard by the Dream Master's statement. "Besides, he's a smart one, he'll catch on fast. And he has such a nice aura about him, I know he won't cause any trouble."

            Kyo and Lysha argued for some time, while Haku waited patiently for their decision. Kyo accused Lysha of being heartless and having no sense of adventure, and she insisted he was being irresponsible. In the end, Kyo managed to convince Lysha to let Haku have a trial run, and to see how he performed inside a dream. Haku breathed a sigh of relief, and expressed his gratitude to the Dream Masters.

~~~End Flashback (and back to the dream; this next part was supposed to be in italics, but it isn't showing up that way, so just know it's meant to be italicized and it's more of Chihiro's dream…)~~~

            "Wow, so that's how you got here, inside my dream, I mean? I can't believe you went through so much trouble to see me again," Chihiro said as Haku finished his story. She looked over at him in awe. 

            "Well, it was worth it," he replied, grabbing her hand and squeezing it.

            She gave him a goofy smile. "There's one thing I'm still confused about, though…" Chihiro said.

            "Only one?" Haku quipped.

            She rolled her eyes at him, and then continued, "How, exactly did you enter my dream? I know you asked the Dream Masters to let you come here, but how did you get inside my head?"

            "Well, in the Dream World, there is a huge building full of doors, endless numbers of them. Each door there leads to the subconscious of one human in your world, which is where a person's dreams come from. The Dream Masters gave me the pass to your door, which allowed me to enter your mind," he put a finger up to her temple, "and that's how I got here."

            She formed an "O" with her mouth, and sat there, taking it all in. "Well, I'm glad you got here, no matter how you did it. It's kind of weird knowing that you're inside my brain, though."

            Haku laughed, the first honest, true laugh he'd let out since Chihiro had left the Spirit World. "I'm glad I got here too." The two children smiled at each other happily.

~~~

            Abruptly, the dream ended and Chihiro sat up in her bed, breathing hard. The dream…Haku…it was over. What a wonderful dream it had been though. But had he really been there? And was the story that he had told her about visiting the Dream World to see her again true? She didn't know, but at that point, she didn't really care. She had seen Haku again, and even though she wasn't entirely sure it had been real, what she felt at that moment certainly was. 

~~~

Author's Note: Right, so we're finally getting into the actual story now. I hope you enjoyed it so far. Next time around, certain people may be causing some problems for poor Chihiro and Haku, because hey, what's a story without some conflict to make it exciting? Oh, and I'm going to be fast-forwarding into the future, so they're going to be older. 

I hope the format of this chapter wasn't too confusing; it's meant to be that Chihiro is dreaming, when Haku enters her dreams for the first time. They greet each other, and then Haku tells Chihiro the story of how her got inside her dreams (the stuff that happened in the flashback is the stuff he's telling her about). And then it goes back to the dream again. I hope that made sense. Meh. I'll try to get the next chapter out by Sunday, but I'm not sure if that'll happen. Until then, reviews on this chapter are appreciated!


	4. Paradise Lost

Author's Note: Right, so here's chapter 4, um, I really don't have much else to say except thank you to the people who have been reviewing! Oh, and just for reference, any time that Chihiro and Haku are talking directly to each other or interacting, it's inside of Chihiro's dreams at night, because, well, that's the only place they see each other. So, on we go.

Disclaimer: Bah, disclaimers from pervious chapters still apply here. Shocking, isn't it?

~~~

            For five years, life was wonderful. Haku visited Chihiro in her dreams every night during that time without fail. While they led their day-to-day lives fairly happily, what each truly lived for was the night, when they were united again deep inside Chihiro's mind. They had the perfect arrangement; they were able to see each other every day, and Chihiro was still able to remain in the Human World with her family who she loved dearly. She had a little brother now too. He had been born a year and a half after her family had moved and he was over three years old now. He looked a great deal like Chihiro, which delighted her. _He's going to be one good-looking kid_ she thought to herself with a laugh. 

Haku was quite comfortable in the Dream World now too. He found the inhabitants to be quite friendly, and the rulers were far more kind and just than Yubaba had ever been. The Dream Master Kyo favored Haku greatly, and had come to think of him as something of a "project." Haku was brought before the Dream Masters almost daily to answer Kyo's questions about the Worlds outside of the land of dreams, and Haku's experiences there. Although he wouldn't admit it, Haku was quite amused by the relationship between Kyo and Lysha. They were polar opposites in nearly every sense. One of the reasons that he obliged Kyo's requests to hear stories of the Spirit World was so that he could watch the brother and sister argue after he was done with his tales. They would debate almost any point, ranging from the way the Dream World should be run, to more petty issues such as which one had better hair (which was Kyo's absolute favorite topic to argue over). It was a wonder that they were so effective as leaders and managed to work so well together. 

In those five years after Chihiro's trip to the Spirit World, Chihiro and Haku had each grown up a great deal, and with them, the love they had felt even as children had grown as well. Chihiro was no longer the clumsy little girl she had been (though she was still known to bump into tables and sometimes walls every so often when she wasn't paying attention), and she had become a lovely young woman worthy of her equally lovely name. She was taller now, but still slender, and had let her hair grow down several inches past her shoulders. Her eyes, however, had not changed; they remained as bright and full of curiosity as they had been when she was only ten. Haku too had grown, as Chihiro noted one night as she watched him in her dream.

~~~(Dream)~~~

            _Chihiro waited impatiently in the field for Haku to arrive. She_ _was always anxious to see him appear at the top of the hill where he would inevitably smile at her and then make his way down to meet her at its base. He was so grown up now, nearly sixteen (in his human form) and as strong and confident as ever. His hair hung loosely around his face and occasionally small gusts of wind blew strands of it over his eyes. He grinned absently and pushed them aside. Chihiro stared up at him admiringly and watched his powerful form as he came jogging down to meet her. He moved beautifully, never missing a beat, never tripping, always perfect. She knew she was certainly not as poised as him, but then again, she couldn't think of anyone who was._

_            He stopped a few feet in front of her and exhaled deeply, never taking his eyes off her. They stood that way for sometime, standing there and grinning at each other, close enough that if they had merely reached out, they would have been able to grasp the other's hand.  Eventually Haku did just that and clasped her hand in his own. The subtle action reminded Chihiro greatly of her departure from the Spirit World back when she was ten. He had grasped her hand gently then, as if secretly willing her to stay there with him, despite his outward insistence that she leave quickly and not turn back. She smiled at the memory, but hastily snapped out of her reverie with a shake of her head. She pulled Haku into a quick hug and kissed him quickly on the cheek. He blushed slightly, so slightly that it would have been imperceptible to almost anyone, though Chihiro caught it easily. She knew him so well; there was something so personal about sharing time alone inside a dream and it had made them extremely close. The kiss on the cheek was an innocent gesture, one that had been Chihiro's standard form of greeting for Haku for two years now._

_~~~(Flashback, inside one Chihiro's dream two years earlier)~~~_

_            Chihiro sat in the field, her knees clutched to her chest. Tears spilled readily from her normally bright eyes, making them a dull, clouded color. It had been a terrible day for her back in the human world, and right now she needed the comfort of her dream life, her sanctuary. Her breaths were shallow, her lungs sucking in the painfully cold air that somehow seemed fitting given her unhappy mood. Time dragged on as she remained that way, trying in vain to banish memories of the day from her mind. _

_            "Chihiro?" came a soft voice from behind her. She turned and looked up at Haku, who was standing only inches from her. Upon seeing her distressed state, he knelt down quickly next to her, his face giving away his confusion, and above all else, his concern. He reached out and pulled her into a warm embrace. Neither one spoke for a long time. Haku didn't tell her that "it would all be okay" or ask her what was wrong, for which she was eternally grateful. In truth, she didn't want to talk about it, she didn't even want to think about it, she just wanted to forget, if only for a moment. _

_Her tears subsided and she pulled away a few inches from him so that she could look up into his face. She sniffled once more and smiled at him as best she could given the situation. _

_"Good, no more tears," he whispered. Then he reached out and did something he had never done before; he placed his hand on her cheek and stroked it awkwardly. The movement caught Chihiro completely off guard; never once had she seen him do anything with less than perfect elegance and grace. The innocence and vulnerability of his actions shocked her so much that she did something she had feared she might never do again; she _laughed. _She wasn't quite sure why she had laughed, but she knew that Haku had managed to make her feel the kind of happiness that she had longed for during that terrible day. In her elated state, she leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. He blushed deeply for a few seconds, but composed himself hastily enough to join in on her laughter. For the remainder of the night, they stayed that way, laughing and smiling, though neither one of them really knew why._

_~~~(End Flashback)~~~_

_            Ever since that night, Chihiro had greeted Haku with a quick kiss on the cheek. It just seemed appropriate. She thought of it as her way of telling him how deeply she cared for him, as a friend, and perhaps even more, every night. _

_            "So," Haku began, "what should we do tonight?"_

_            "Let's just sit here, you know, and enjoy each other's company." She replied._

_            They looked over at each other and smiled._

~~~

            Unfortunately, all good things really do come to pass. Just as Chihiro and Haku were beginning to realize the full extent of their feelings for each other, everything came crashing violently down. Yubaba, in her impatience at not hearing from Haku for five years and her rage at not receiving the payment he'd promised in exchange for his freedom, had decided to take action. She and a party of her subordinates, including her new apprentice, made a journey to the Dream World, where they planned to find Haku and make him wish he had never asked to be free of his contract.

~~~

Author's Note: Woohoo, finally some sort of semblance of a plot! Please, please, please review! I'll give you a cookie if you do! Anyways, I'll try to get the next chapter up soon, though I'm not making any promises. I'm super-busy right now, what with finals and all the end of the year stuff at school. Gah. Thanks for reading this far!


	5. Destruction and Decisions

Author's Note: Wow, thank you so much to all the people who have reviewed. I'm shocked to find that people have decided to add my story to their favorites lists, but I'm not complaining! Also, constructive criticism is very helpful, so thanks for the advice too. I'm so glad someone is reading and enjoying it, seriously, it makes me really happy. You guys are awesome. Also, I updated the first few chapters pretty quickly and kind of rushed through them. I might be taking more time between updates from now on so I can make my chapters a little bit longer and more detailed. 

Disclaimer: You know the drill

~~~

            _Chihiro felt almost greedy having this place that held such great beauty all to herself. It seemed like such a shame that she was the only one who would ever be able to enjoy the landscape of her dream-life, but at the same time, she liked the fact that it was so personal, so private. She was thankful for every second that she spent there. There was only one person who she truly wanted to share this place with, and she hoped he would be arriving soon. _

_With a contented sigh, she lay herself down in the soft grass of the field and breathed in its cool scent deeply. The smell of it reminded her of Haku. It seemed like everything reminded her of him lately, sometimes it felt like he was all she could think about. She was eager to see him again tonight and sat up so that she could watch and wait for him to come._

_            But unfortunately, he didn't come. She waited for hours in the spot where they always met, but he never appeared. The night wind whispered past her confused face as she wondered where he could be. Finally, getting impatient and a little bit frustrated at waiting, she got up to look for him. She ran through the field, calling his name and squinting her eyes to peer into the distance in an effort to locate him. Her endeavors proved wasted, however, as he was nowhere to be found. She shivered involuntarily, though whether it was from the wind, or the cold feeling at the pit of her stomach, she couldn't be sure.  _

_~~~_

Chihiro woke up abruptly to the feel of fresh tears on her face. She sat upright and looked frantically around her room, genuinely upset by the events of the night. "No…" she cried out into the still darkness of her room, "Where could he be?" Her mind was racing as she tried to process what had taken place that night. She sat with her head in her hands breathing raggedly and attempted to quell the rush of emotions that threatened to overwhelm her. 

Chihiro didn't perform well in school on the day following her lonely night, and those she was closest to noticed a distinct change in her attitude. She was detached, cold, and certainly not the bright and charming girl they were accustomed to.

The next two days and nights were much the same; Chihiro was unsuccessful in finding Haku inside her dreams, and she was growing increasingly worried. In all their years together, Haku had never missed a single one of their meetings, and now he had been disturbingly absent for three consecutive nights. At first, she had felt abandoned and had thought that Haku had merely forgotten her or moved on to something, or perhaps even someone, else. But on the third day, after she got over her initial shock and emotional response, she came to an entirely different conclusion. Haku was in trouble. 

She knew from the way Haku acted with her that he treasured their time together inside her dreams as much as she did. The only thing that could have stopped him from coming would be if he were in some sort of danger. He wouldn't willingly miss a moment that they could have spent together. He loved her. She was positive he did. And suddenly she realized that she returned the feeling unconditionally.

~~~

            Yubaba looked on in satisfaction as her underlings tore the Dream World apart in their search for Haku. They were leaving no corner, no shadow unexplored, and she was extremely impressed with their efforts thus far. She noted happily that her new apprentice, Shen, was performing his duties with a special vigor and an eager fire in his eyes. She was quite pleased with his progress under her tutelage. They would find that traitorous little liar Haku in no time. That much she was certain of.

            Yubaba had waited patiently for Haku's payment for his freedom for two years, but by the third, she had grown rather…displeased. Unfortunately, she hadn't had any idea where Haku had gone, and did not possess the means to pinpoint his exact location. For two years afterwards, she sent parties out to search the lands, but each time they returned from their journeys empty-handed. It wasn't until about three weeks ago that realization struck her. She knew that Haku had gone to find that terrible, bothersome human girl, Sen-or Chihiro if one were to call her by her real name-but she hadn't had a clue as to how he would have reached her in the Human World. That is, she hadn't had a clue until she remembered the Dream World, the one place where spirits and humans could connect without actually physically leaving their respective Worlds. She was certain this was where Haku had gone.

            She had gathered her strongest and her smartest followers to travel with her to the Dream World, where she would collect the payment she had been promised. _I've got a business to run, I can't just go around releasing my workers without some sort of compensation. He made a deal with me, and I'll see that he keeps it, _Yubaba thought to herself.

So now she stood in the Dream World, watching its destruction with a rather morbid fascination. She took a long drag on her cigarette and blew out the smoke slowly. The wisps of gray hung in the air before her face like a shroud, partially obscuring her view for a moment, and then were lost amongst the sea of clouds that made up the land of dreams. She had arrived with her followers in the Dream World only moments earlier, and chaos had already broken out. Although the inhabitants of the Dream World could not be harmed physically since their bodies consisted mostly of cloud and weapons passed through them without any effect, they were ill equipped to defend themselves. 

Early on, one Dream Player had attempted to defend his home from Yubaba's men, but she had destroyed that threat quickly enough. Her magic was extremely potent. When he had so foolishly challenged them, she had waved her hand in the air, a gesture that appeared careless at best, and cast a quick spell that caused him to vanish into nothingness. It was no more than a simple reversal spell, but it was enough to lift the enchantment that held the clouds and smoke that made up his body together. His form dissipated, and the soft substance that had once been magically joined together to create his being now drifted apart and became indistinguishable from the scenery.    

The Dream Players had been subdued with little difficulty after that, and did nothing to stop Yubaba as she made her way to the Center, the building that was the core of the Dream World and home to the Dream Masters. She smirked at a Dream Player who was crouching on the ground near the Center. He looked up at her fearfully and frantically pushed himself out of the way. This prompted a chuckle from the witch. She threw the same spell she had used previously down at him and he disappeared without a trace.

"Hey boys," she called out hoarsely to her party as she stared ahead at the Center, "Drop whatever you're doing. He's in here, I can feel it." They immediately obeyed her order and ran to her side.

"Would you like us to proceed inside?" Shen asked fervently.

"Yes, find him, and be quick about it."

~~~

            Inside the Center, Haku was telling an enthusiastic Kyo about the first time he had learned a magic spell after arriving in the Spirit World. During the tale, Haku and the two Dream Masters remained unaware of the events that were taking place just outside the walls of the Center. It wasn't until it was too late that Haku realized something was amiss. He felt a strong new presence, and it certainly wasn't a friendly one. He ended his story abruptly and spun around to face the door of the room just in time to see it be blown open. Before he had time to collect himself or prepare for what was coming, Yubaba's forces had flooded the room and overtaken him.

~~~

            He wondered briefly if he had died inside the Center. However, after a moment, he realized he was in far too much pain to be dead. (AN: Ok, so I'm not sure if spirits can die or not, so don't yell at me for this. Think of it sort of like that time in the movie when Zeniba's little paper bird things were attacking him and it looked like he might die…). He instantly became acutely aware of every aching muscle and every gaping wound on his body. He could feel dried blood caked to his skin and sticking to his clothing and his hair. 

            He tried to move, but found that he couldn't. It was difficult to tell whether some outside force restricted his movement, or if he was simply too physically exhausted to move. He groaned and attempted to open his eyes. Light. Blinding, bright white light burned his eyes and sent a stabbing pain across his temples. He snapped his eyes shut to stop the pain. Footsteps. The sound of light, brisk footsteps. He strained his ears in order to orient himself and determine where exactly they were coming from. _To my left, maybe twenty paces away, _he thought. The footsteps were getting closer; now fifteen paces away, now seven paces, now two. And then his visitor was right next to him, only inches away. A light, cool breath hit his ear softly as the visitor spoke.

            "So, you're awake now. You've been asleep an awfully long time, nearly three days by my count. Poor thing, you're exhausted. Your work in the Dream World must have been positively _rigorous_," the voice hissed out mockingly, "However, now that you've had some rest, I'm sure my mistress would just _love_ to see you. She's been waiting for years."

~~~

            Chihiro sloshed through ankle deep puddles as she made her way down the road and away from her school. She hadn't been able to focus on her studies at all. She was worried. Worried for Haku. Something told her that he needed her help and she had an overpowering desire to go to him.

            She paused for a moment and looked ahead of her. There was a phone booth several feet away. She remained rooted to the spot where she stood as the heavy rain pelted the top of her head, making her hair stick to her face. Slowly, she walked towards the phone and reached her hand out to pick up the receiver. She lifted it to her ear and placed a few coins in the slot. Hands shaking, she dialed her home phone number. She held her breath as the phone rang, and prepared herself for the most difficult phone call she had ever made.

            She heard the click of the phone being picked up on the other end, and then her mother's voice, "Hello?"

            "M-mom," Chihiro sputtered out, her voice so shaky that she hardly even recognized it.

            "Chihiro, sweetheart, where are you? It's pouring outside, why aren't you home from school yet?"

            "Mom, I'm…I'm not going to be coming home tonight. I might not be back the night after that either. I don't really…completely know how long I'm going to be gone. I love you, all of you, but there's something I-I, well I just have to do. I'm sorry, so so sorry. I'll come home soon though, I promise. Please, don't worry. Goodbye, I love, I love you, I…" She trailed off as she burst into tears. She let the receiver slip from her hand and started to run as fast as she could. She could still hear her mother's frantic voice calling out from the other end of the pay phone she had failed to hang up. 

She ran as fast as her legs could take her, across the road and deep into the woods. She slipped in the fresh mud created by the heavy ran and cut her leg on a sharp rock. New tears caused by the physical pain mingled with the old tears that already streaked her face. She squeezed her leg tightly, and then picked herself up and kept running anyways. In moments, she would be at the entrance of the Spirit World where she hoped she would find Haku. Finding him was all that mattered. 

~~~

Author's Note: Gah, sorry this took so long to get out. I've been really really busy. I might take a while to get the next chapter out too, but hopefully it will be a little better than this one. I know this chapter isn't very good, but I didn't really have much time to revise it, and I didn't want to make people wait another week for it. Sorry!

Anyways, in the next chapter, Haku and Chihiro get to see each other again, woohoo! Until then, adios.


	6. Challenges

Author's Note: Here's chapter 6 for those of you who have made it this far!

~~~

            Haku could feel the bonds that held him being removed by the visitor. The blood began to flow steadily back into his arms and his legs, which had previously been restricted by the tight straps. It was an interesting sensation. While he was relieved to feel as though his mind and body were fully connected again, he also felt paralyzed by the fresh new wave of pain that overcame him as some of the comforting numbness that had been caused by the bonds faded. He cringed and tried to stand up, but fell back to his knees. He still hadn't opened his eyes. 

            "Come along, Mistress Yubaba doesn't have all day. She's a busy woman; you should know that. After all, you were essentially her right-hand man, her servant really, for years and years, weren't you?" drawled the voice of his visitor lazily. 

            At this, Haku's eyes flew open. He did his best to ignore the white-hot sting that tore across his head when the light greeted his tired eyes. He looked at his surroundings and noticed fleetingly that somehow, he was back at the bathhouse, even though he had been in the Dream World only three days before. He thought to himself that Yubaba's magic must have grown even stronger, since somehow she and her minions had made the long, difficult journey in only a matter of days. 

"I was not her servant," he managed to spit out through clenched teeth after his moment of observation.

            The visitor scoffed at this. "Oh, of course you weren't, how silly of me to assume…" he trailed off with a sarcastic sneer. Now that Haku's eyes were open, he could see that the person standing before him was a young man, perhaps two years older than he, with unruly light brown hair and cold blue eyes. The two young men had similar builds; both were tall, lean and looked well conditioned. The visitor continued, "Well, are you going to get up or not? If you're waiting for someone to pick you up and carry you, I'm afraid you're in for some disappointment." Haku stared up at him defiantly and pushed himself slowly to his feet. "I don't understand how anyone so weak ever could have lasted as Yubaba's apprentice," continued the visitor, "I mean, let's face it, Yubaba's lucky to have gotten rid of you. Especially now that I, Shen, have taken your place as her apprentice," he said with a smirk as he opened his arms wide and bent over in a mock bow. "Really, I'd say she got the better end of the bargain, wouldn't you?"

            Haku looked at him with his face emotionless. He decided not to dignify the young man's question with an answer and instead stated, "I'm leaving."

            This prompted a laugh from Shen, "Leave? You can hardly even _stand_, I sincerely doubt that you're going anywhere fast." Shen reached out and grabbed Haku roughly by the shoulders and began pushing him towards the door, "Anywhere except with me to see Yubaba, that is."

            Haku attempted to squirm out of Shen's firm grasp, but to no avail. He was far too weak in his current state to even put up a good fight. Soon, he and Shen would arrive in Yubaba's office, where he would be forced to face his past. He had no doubt that it wouldn't be pretty.

~~~

            Chihiro stood panting and gasping for air just outside the tunnel that led to the Spirit World. Her entire body was numb; a result of a combination of the cold, stinging rain striking her slim form mercilessly and the physical exertion she had put out while sprinting up the steep forest hill. She stared into the inky darkness of the tunnel before her. Her breathing quickened and her head began to throb.

            "It's been so long…" she whispered to herself, "I can hardly even remember…"

            _It doesn't matter, he needs you, you know he does_…she thought to herself.

            "But he's strong, so much stronger than me. There's nothing I can do, without him, I'm lost," she cried out quietly.

            _And without you, he's lost. Go to him. Save him. He needs you now more than ever…_

            Chihiro fell to her knees and hugged her arms to her chest. She struggled with herself, drifting between determination and fear. She looked up to the sky, and could see the sun slipping ever closer to the horizon. It would be nightfall soon. She had to make a decision now, or it would be too late. Gradually, she began to stand. With a quiet resolve, she began walking towards the tunnel. She took one final deep breath and closed her eyes. She exhaled slowly, letting her body cleanse itself, and then plunged into the tunnel. She was running haphazardly with eyes closed and feet flying, and didn't stop until she felt the terrain beneath her change from the concrete of the tunnel, to the soft ground of a field. 

She stood for a moment, and then opened her eyes and looked around herself in a mixture of shock and awe. Although she had been here in her dreams countless times, this was the first time she had been in the field physically in years. She bent down and placed a hand delicately on the ground beneath her. It was _real_. She could really feel it, not the way she felt it in her dreams, which was an illusion more than anything and never seemed truly authentic. Her breath caught in her throat as she nearly laughed in joy and surprise. She was there; she was really, truly, completely there. Body and mind, together. She felt tempted to remain in that spot, enjoying the feel of being in this place that felt something like a second home to her, but reminded herself that she had come there for a reason. 

"I made it, Haku. I'm going to find you, I promise."

~~~

            "My, you've grown up since I last saw you," Yubaba remarked tersely with something of a feigned maternal tone as she peered over her desk at Haku. "All those years, and you couldn't even be bothered to come back and see more, or, more importantly, reimburse me for _giving you your freedom_?!" Her voice rose steadily with every word, until she was on the verge of yelling.

            Haku merely stared at her from his place kneeling on the floor in front of her desk. He hadn't even been allowed to sit in the chair that was only inches from his side. It wouldn't be fitting to allow a traitor such a comfort, they had said. Shen glared down at Haku and delivered a quick kick to his ribs, as if trying to prod the words out of him. Haku coughed when Shen's foot collided with his side, blood spilling out of his lips. He resisted the urge to clutch his right side.

             Yubaba looked down at him with disgust apparent on her face. "Not even going to speak then? So stubborn, and so _stupid_. Well, if you aren't in the mood to chat, then you can just listen, you miserable little wretch. We have a contract, you and I, and thus far, you don't seem to be keeping up your end of the bargain. Now, you leave me in a rather…awkward situation. You see, my dear, I'm a businesswoman, an entrepreneur, if you will. I would like to believe that I am a patient woman, as well, though I'm sure most would disagree with me on that point," she laughed at this, as did Shen. Haku, however, did not find it amusing. "However, five years is an awfully long time to wait for payment, even for one as enduring as myself. I want you to complete your end of the bargain, NOW!" she bellowed the last word forcefully. 

            Haku remained un-phased, and replied, "I can't." 

            "You can't, or you won't?"

            "Both; I can't, at the moment, and even if I could, I wouldn't."

            "We have a deal, Haku, a deal that you _will_ honor. You promised me that if I let you go free, that you would do me a favor. You promised that you would get rid of my _dear,_" the word dripped from her mouth acidly, "Sister for me. For good. There's nothing in the Spirit World that I want more than to see Zeniba's demise. She's grown too powerful, and I want her to be stopped."

            "I won't do it. I was young, it was a foolish promise to make. I wanted so badly to be free of you that I was blinded to the gravity of the bargain I was making. I won't kill Zeniba. She helped Chihiro, and she helped me, even after I stole her seal. She's a far better woman than you can ever even hope to be. Besides, your power is greater than mine, what makes you think I could succeed where you have failed? Are you still so afraid to face her that you'll send a boy in your place? You're pathetic," Haku replied smoothly, his face still giving nothing away.

            Yubaba's features grew taut and she signaled something to Shen. Again, he delivered a firm kick to Haku's already weakened ribs. "No, I'm not afraid of Zeniba," she growled, but her brief moment of hesitation told Haku that her statement wasn't entirely true, "I have other reasons. This is a matter of stealth, not strength. You see, Zeniba trusts you now; she witnessed the deep bond that you felt with Sen, who she cares for greatly. She won't suspect anything when _you_ go to visit her, and by the time she realizes something is amiss, you will have already transformed into a dragon and destroyed her. She doesn't think you'd do anything to hurt Sen, even if it is indirectly."

Yubaba took a sip from a delicate porcelain cup that sat on her desk. Haku noticed absently that little paintings of dragons adorned the sides while Yubaba continued, "It's quite a paradox, isn't it? In order for you to be with Sen, you had to make a deal with me to harm one of her close friends. And by killing Zeniba, you'll certainly make her sad, she may even end up hating you for it. Of course, if you _don't_ do as I ask, you'll never get to see her again, which I have no doubt will also upset her. So which will it be? Either way, poor little Chihiro is bound to get her heart broken. It's tragic really," she cackled. Again, Shen echoed her laughter and the sound soon filled the room.

"I told you, I can't kill Zeniba. I'm prepared to face whatever punishment you have for me for breaking your contract. I'm not afraid," Haku said.

Yubaba sent him a sidelong glance and exhaled heavily through her nose, causing the steam rising from her cup to be blown towards Haku. "You can't kill Zeniba," she said, repeating Haku's statement thoughtfully. She studied him intently for a moment, until finally realization dawned on her, she gasped. "You can't kill Zeniba, because you've lost the power to take on your dragon form, haven't you? Yes, I can see it now, you're no longer capable of transforming, you've lost your power! That's-"

Haku cut her off with a piercing look of such potency that even he was caught off guard by it. He bit his lower lip and looked down at the floor, ashamed of his weakness. He still couldn't believe that he was longer able to transform. After he had pushed himself so hard to get to the Dream World in dragon form, his body had rejected any attempts he made to take it on later. After a while, he had completely neglected to even try to become a dragon anymore, as there was really no need for him to do so inside the land of dreams.

~~~

            Chihiro was running again, through the sea of bright green grass, towards the city and the bathhouse. She was nearing exhaustion, but continued to push onwards. Her memories of Haku fueled her determination.

            Flash. _Haku was holding her hand, guiding her across a bridge full of spirits while she held her breath. _Flash. _They were soaring above the land together, through the serene night sky._ Flash. _She saw him again for the first time after she had left the Spirit World, and ran to his arms. _Flash. Flash. Flash. The beautiful memories of their time together played over and over again in her mind, lifting the physical pain she felt, and replacing her feelings of doubt, fear and pain with the love she felt for him. 

            After what felt like mere moments, she had arrived at the bridge leading to the bathhouse. She wasn't sure if she would be remembered or not, so she decided it was best to hold her breath while crossing, just in case. She sucked in the air deeply and filled her lungs, ready to put her first foot on the bridge, when something stopped her. She let out the air in a quick gasp as the odd sight met her eyes. 

            The street outside the bathhouse was crawling with workers. Chihiro was positive they were the bathhouse employees and not customers. She recognized the outfits. _What's going on? _She wondered to herself, _why aren't they preparing the bathhouse for the spirits? Something must be wrong, but I wonder wha-_

            Chihiro was snapped out her reverie when she heard a distinctly familiar voice yell "Hey, watch where you're going! I'm in a _real _bad mood and I don't feel like putting up with your-"

            "Lin!" Chihiro cried, running across the bridge, completely forgetting to hold her breath in her excitement. "Lin, it's me, Chi- I mean, Sen! Lin!"

            Amidst the surprised cries of "Human!" that escaped the lips of bathhouse workers, Lin whipped around to face the bridge. She saw the young girl running towards her and mumbled in disbelief, "Sen?" She stared for a second longer. She recognized the girl's excited face, her thick brown hair; she looked exactly like the Sen that Lin remembered, only now she was a young woman, not a little girl. "Sen!" Lin cried out, running towards that girl, "Sen, I can't believe it, you came back, I knew you would, I knew it!" 

            Chihiro and Lin reached each other and embraced happily. "Lin! I'm so happy to see you again," Chihiro cried out, tears clouding her vision.

            "It's good to see you again too. I knew I'd see you again someday. You just couldn't stay away, could you?" Lin said with a quick laugh. "Wow, you sure have grown up."

            "So have you, Lin," Chihiro replied, looking up at the young woman's matured features. 

            A circle of spectators had formed around the two girls. A few were staring with their mouths agape, others wearing looks of concentration as they tried to discern why the human girl looked so familiar. Lin looked around and replaced her happy smile with a sour look. "What are you all staring out?" she demanded, "Shouldn't you be doing something productive instead of standing around and gawking? Don't tell me none of you remember Sen. You know, _Sen,_ S…E…N" she said, putting special emphasis on the name and spelling it out. She let out an exasperated sigh. "The girl with pigs for parents. Come on, you remember."

            At this, a collective "Ah" of realization was emitted from the group. At once, they all began talking rapidly, and bombarded Chihiro with "welcome backs," excited comments and a wide array of questions. 

            Lin shouted above the dull roar of the crowd, "Hey, hey, give the girl some space!" Steadily, the noise quieted down, and Lin was able to lead Chihiro away from the crowd so they could talk without interruption. 

            "Why is everyone out here? Why aren't you in the bathhouse?" Chihiro inquired, glancing around.

            Lin sighed deeply, stretching as she did. "Well, Sen, I'm afraid you aren't going to like what I have to say…you see, in the past few years…Yubaba, well, she's been even worse than usual lately. And now, well, the bathhouse is nearly in shambles. Just today, she came back from some sort of journey, and she kicked us all out. She says the bathhouse won't be open for a while, as she has some important business to attend to. So now, the old hag has forced all out on the streets. We don't what's going on."

            "It's Haku," Chihiro whispered to herself more than Lin, staring up at the bathhouse, "she has Haku." Lin looked puzzled, but let Chihiro continue, "Lin, I need your help. Can you do me a big favor?" Lin nodded uncertainly, and Chihiro smiled at her, "I need you to find Zeniba and No Face for me, and bring them here."

            Lin sputtered and creased her brow, "But Chihiro, why? And how? If I had train tickets, I would have left this dump a long time ago. How do you expect me to get all the way to Zeniba's house, and once I'm there, why do you think Zeniba would agree to go anywhere with me?"

            Chihiro reached back behind her head, and removed the hair tie that held her hair in place. She shook her head softly, letting her hair fall down to frame her face. "Here, give this to the man on the train, and tell him that you have special permission from Zeniba to ride the train. I don't think he'll want to take the risk of getting on Zeniba's bad side. This little band is filled with Zeniba's magic, it should be easy to recognize for almost anyone. And once you get to Zeniba's house, just hand it to her, and tell her that Chihiro, that's my real name, needs her help at the bathhouse. Can you do that for me? Please?"

            "Yes, of course, anything. I'll leave right now if you'd like me to."

            "Yes, thank you Lin, thank you. I know this doesn't all make sense right now, but I'll explain everything when I see you again, alright?" Lin nodded her head and smiled. "Thanks you, Lin, you're a wonderful friend!" Chihiro threw her arms around Lin's neck in a quick hug and then took off running towards the doors of the bathhouse. She looked behind her as she ran, waving to a still somewhat stunned Lin.

            Lin let out a loud sigh while clutched the hair tie in her hand and muttered to herself, "The things I put myself through…" After a final glance at Chihiro's retreating form, she started walking in the direction of the train tracks.

~~~

            Chihiro was inside the deserted bathhouse now. It was eerie, seeing this place that was usually so full of life and color so desolate now. She ran to the elevator and pushed the panel that made it go up. It began ascending and she was relieved to find that it still worked properly. Chihiro put a hand on her forehead and closed her eyes, trying to compose herself so that she would be prepared to face whatever lied ahead. She was headed for Yubaba's office, where she was sure she would find Haku. 

            She shivered as she felt the elevator come to steady halt. Slowly, the doors slid open, and Chihiro peered out. She took an uncertain step out of the elevator, and gulped. The doors behind her began closing, causing her to cry out in surprise and stumble forward. She winced and chided herself for being so jumpy. As she began walking, she found that her footsteps echoed loudly on the floor of the deserted passageways. She decided to remove her shoes to lessen the impact. For some reason, she felt that it was of extreme importance that she not be heard. 

            Chihiro made her way through the doors and down the halls, until she arrived at the door she thought led to Yubaba's office. She pressed her ear against the door, trying desperately to hear what was going on inside. She heard mumbled voices on the other side of the door, but couldn't be sure who they belonged to. She leaned harder against the door, straining her ears to pick up the sound. As she pushed herself against the door more, it swung open under her weight, and she went tumbling headfirst into the room. She thudded to floor gracelessly and moaned in pain. Gasps of surprise left the mouths of three different people at the sight of the girl. Chihiro clutched her left wrist (which she had landed heavily on), and looked up.

            "Chihiro…?" came a disbelieving male voice.

            Her eyes met his, "Haku!" she breathed. 

For a moment, time stood still.  

~~~

Author's Note: Yay! Ok, so in the next chapter, be prepared for some Chihiro/Haku sap, since they'll be seeing each other for the first time in a while. You know you love the sap. Anyways, that's all I really have to say for now. Thanks again to my readers and please please please review, I like the feedback! I'll try to get the next chapter up really soon!


	7. Distances

Author's Note: Here's chapter 7! Whee! I don't really have much to say this time so…

Disclaimer: Oops, I forgot this on the last chapter, oh well. I don't own the movie, just my story.

~~~

            Haku whipped his head around at the sudden burst of noise and gasped in shock. The seemingly impossible sight that met his eyes made everything else around him fade away into nothingness, becoming dulled and insignificant. At that moment, she was all that existed; Yubaba, Shen, the office, all the physical pain he felt drifted out of focus entirely. 

            "Chihiro?" he half shouted, half sputtered in his disbelief.

            She looked up at him, and in her surprise she managed to gasp out his name, "Haku!" 

He continued to stare at her, heart pounding in his chest as he struggled to comprehend the situation. She was there, in the Spirit World, and she'd come to find him. This girl constantly amazed him, and now more than ever that was true. Despite the abandonment she must have felt those nights he'd been missing, she had still come searching for him. His heart came close to breaking as he thought about the confusion, fear and hurt she must have felt those three days he'd failed to visit her. But now she knew. She knew that it hadn't been his fault, that he still wanted to see her as much as he had when they'd first found each other inside her dreams. That he still loved her. 

            Her hair was out of its usual ponytail, and hung gently around her face, though it was slightly disheveled from her fall. Haku noted that she was wearing a white shirt, somewhat smudged from her journey. He closed his eyes and pictured her the way she appeared inside the dreams, wearing a simple white dress that flowed around her softly with every move she made and with each breeze that danced by. Perfect. He sighed and opened his eyes again. There was no need to imagine her now. She was right there before his eyes. She was close enough to touch, crouched on the floor in much the same manner that he was, and only feet away. 

He reached his hand out towards her, acting on pure impulse and not bothering to think. She mirrored the gentle action, leaning closer towards him with arm outstretched. Their eyes locked, and the tips of their fingers grew closer. They both longed for it desperately, their first _real_ touch in years. Chihiro's heart ached as she thought of how long it had been since they'd really seen each other, in the flesh, they way they were seeing each other now.  

            The sudden movement from the two shook Yubaba from her dazed state, causing her to bellow "Guards!" loudly. Her screech snapped Shen back into reality, and he was immediately in action. Just as Haku's hand was only an inch away from Chihiro's, Shen tackled him, causing both boys to be thrown to the side and interrupting the intimate moment between Chihiro and Haku. Chihiro cried out as Haku and Shen hit the ground roughly. She heard the distinct sound of one or more bones snapping, though she couldn't be sure who's they were. She cringed and closed her eyes tightly, grabbing her head with her hands. Silence momentarily filled the room. After some hesitation, Chihiro opened her eyes again and looked around. Shen and Haku were still on the floor, neither one moving much, but both breathing hard, and Yubaba was sitting at her desk. The two women made eye contact, and Chihiro could see realization dawning on Yubaba's withered face.  

            "Sen…so you've returned after all," she muttered quietly with a smirk. In that instant, guards burst through the door to the office. Three ran towards Shen and Haku, helping Shen to his feet and grabbing Haku firmly. The other three stood, glancing around for a moment, and then made their way towards a frightened Chihiro.

            "Wait!" Yubaba cried. The guards continued to advance on Chihiro, who was now curled up, grabbing her knees to her chest, on the floor. "I said wait!" Yubaba roared. She raised her hand in the air, and brought it downwards quickly. Chihiro watched in fascination as the scene around her froze immediately. The guards coming towards her were stopped in their tracks. She cast worried looks about her, and then glanced up at Yubaba, who was smiling wickedly down at her.

            "It's so hard to find good help these days," she remarked absently, placing her hand on her chin, "you just can't find anyone who will listen anymore." Yubaba looked down at Chihiro who was still sitting on the floor some distance from the desk. "Well, if we're going to talk like civilized adults, you'd better come closer." Yubaba cast another spell and Chihiro was yanked forward, as if a hook had caught itself in her shirt. She landed with an unceremonious thud in the chair in front of Yubaba's desk.

            "There now, that's much better, isn't it? Now we can have a nice little chat, Sen, just you and I." Chihiro sent her a poisonous glare. "Come now my dear, a pretty face like yours shouldn't be spoiled by such a nasty little look." 

            Chihiro's expression didn't change. "Why are you doing this? Let Haku go, they're hurting him." She glanced towards Haku, frozen in place as Yubaba's guards hauled him to his feet. His mouth was open in what was surely a cry of protest, and his eyes were clenched shut in pain.

            "No, I don't want to," Yubaba replied in a manner that would have seemed almost childish had Chihiro not known the witch better. Chihiro let out a frustrated sigh as Yubaba continued. "Why did you return to the Spirit World, Sen?" Chihiro didn't answer, but merely turned her eyes to the floor. "My, my, you and Haku certainly are two of a kind, you're both so obstinate…Oh dear, that's it, isn't it? You came here to find Haku! How _precious_," she said the last word scathingly, and then laughed boisterously to herself. "Well, you certainly found him, it's just too bad you won't be able to save him." 

She snapped her fingers and the scene returned to normal, as if it had never been frozen in the first place. The guards that had been rushing towards Chihiro looked momentarily disoriented at finding her in the chair now instead of on the floor, but quickly righted themselves and seized her. She was dragged to the floor by the guards, and she felt them tying restraints to her arms. In the background, she could make out Haku yelling fiercely and trying valiantly to escape, but somehow it all seemed muted, and very far away from her. Like a dream. Only not the beautiful dreams she was accustomed to, those days were gone now. This was more like a nightmare. She'd come here intending to save Haku, and now she'd sealed both their fates. She started to cry, steadily at first, but with building intensity. With each tear that spilled down her cheeks, she felt herself growing more emotional. She was angry; angry at Yubaba for taking Haku away and destroying their happiness, angry at the guards who surrounded her, angry at herself for her weakness.

"Take them away," Yubaba sneered, "take them back to the room, but make sure they're separated, I can't have the nasty little things trying to escape while my back is turned. Keep them there until I've made my decision about how to deal with them. Now that this mess has been more or less cleaned up, I do have a business to run. Get those lazy workers back in here; I want this place up and running in an hour. GO!"

The guards bowed to her in perfect unison, and then began ushering Chihiro and Haku out of the office. They were dragged down a complex series of hallways and tight passages. By the time they reached the room were they were to be held, Chihiro had completely lost track of where they were inside the massive building. 

The guards pushed Haku towards the eastern wall and continued fastening his bonds, tying him securely to the partition. They did the same with Chihiro, only she was taken to the western wall, a good forty feet from where Haku was restrained. The guards grinned cruelly at the two prisoners and turned to leave the room. Shen, however, remained behind.

"You're really in for it now," he observed, "I mean, Yubaba was angry before, but now she's _very_ upset. Mistress doesn't take kindly to interruptions," he turned to look directly at Chihiro, who visibly flinched and looked away. Shen stared at her for a long moment, mouth open slightly and eyes wandering. "She's really very pretty, for a human, that is. You've done well for yourself, river spirit." He let his eyes drift off of Chihiro and craned his neck to look over his shoulder at Haku. "It's too bad you'll have to watch her die when Mistress Yubaba commands it."

Haku began struggling violently against his restraints, glaring venomously at Yubaba's new apprentice. Shen laughed. The sound was cold and bitter, sending a shiver down Chihiro's neck. "Why don't you change into your dragon form, river spirit, why don't you change and escape?" Shen asked mockingly, he turned back towards Chihiro. "You haven't told her yet, have you, that you've lost your ability. And do you want to know why he can't do it anymore, human? It's because of you." He walked up to Chihiro and put a hand against her cheek. "You just cause all kinds of problems, don't you?" he whispered in her ear slowly. She gasped, very near tears again. Shen let his hand glide leisurely down her face, staring into her eyes hard. Her breath caught in her throat and she felt a wave of nausea overcome her. Shen smirked one last time, planted a quick, rough kiss on her lips, and let go of her face quickly. He turned a walked out of the room without so much as another glance at Haku and Chihiro.

Chihiro succumbed to the rush of emotions and let a flood of tears escape her tired eyes. "Haku, I'm so sorry, none of this would have happened if you'd never met me. I wish I'd never stumbled into the Spirit World all those years ago. Maybe if I hadn't, you'd still be happy and safe, working for Yubaba," she whispered despairingly.

"I have no doubt that I'd be safe working for her, but happy…never. _You_ make me happy, Chihiro, only you. Before I met you, I was stuck. I never would have had the courage to break away from Yubaba if I hadn't met you. You freed me, you saved me."

"And now look at where we are Haku! I haven't _saved_ you, I've _destroyed_ you! Don't you see, they're going to kill us! They're going to kill us both!" she cried out passionately. In all their years together, she had never yelled at Haku, but given her current situation, she couldn't help it. She would die in this place, a place where she didn't belong. She'd die far away from her family and the people who loved her. And perhaps what hurt her most of all, she knew that she would be responsible for the death of Haku, the young man she loved. Her first love.

Haku looked stricken by her tone and her demeanor, but kept his own voice steady as he responded, "I'm here right now as a result of a series of choices I made. Me, not you. You had an effect on those choices, but they were still my own. Chihiro, you really did free me. Whether you believe it or not, it's true. If I had the chance to go back and do all of this again, I still would have made the choices I did because I want to _be_ with you. Always," he voice dropped down to a whisper as he finished.

Chihiro looked over at him across the room, and met his eyes, his amazing, green eyes. She sighed. "And I want to be with you to too. But not like this, not tied up to some wall, awaiting my death. And I don't want to be with you just in my dreams. Not anymore. I want to _really_ be with you, Haku, in the same world, on the same plane of existence where I can actually see you and touch you, and-" she trailed off, thinking sadly of the moment in Yubaba's office when their hands had so near to touching. Being so close only to have it taken away made the physical separation that much more difficult to endure. She looked down at her hand and clenched her fingers together, imagining the feel of his hand on her own.

"I know, it's been hard, but we've made it this far. We'll get out of this, we always do," he replied comfortingly. "It seems like were always getting into dangerous situations and trying to save each other doesn't it? I guess we're just a pair of star-crossed lovers," he laughed sadly and gently at this.

"Lovers?" Chihiro asked, raising an incredulous brow and smiling at him.

He blushed and tried to hide the smile that threatened to creep onto his lips. He changed the subject quickly. "When we get out of here and escape Yubaba, things will be different. We'll find a way to be together, I promise."

"I believe you," she said softly, her eyes shining. They shared another smile and for a moment, they managed to forget the rest of the world.

~~~

Author's Note: Ok, so this chapter is shorter than I originally wanted it to be, but I wanted to get something up. Sorry if this chapter was kind of sucky and sub-par, I had trouble writing it. Things should start getting better again by the next chapter. I'm trying to work on another Spirited Away story too, so we'll see how frequently I manage to update this one. Thanks for your patience and your support! Buh-bye.


	8. Freedom

Author's Note: Right, here's the next chapter in my story. I spent a little more time with this one, so it's a little longer than the others. Oh, and there's plenty of sap in there too at the end for those of you who have been waiting for it. At this point, I feel some thank yous are in order. This may take a while, but it's something I really felt I should do.

Tempus Mori, Bey-kai-fan and Megumi Chihiro Chiba: I sincerely hope the three of you of you are still reading and enjoying my fic. Your reviews made me extremely happy (special thanks to Tempus Mori for the beautiful review), and I really appreciate it.

Nari Dragon-girl, Cammy, and KitKatGirl: Thank you for your continued support of my story. It's really great for me to see people reviewing consistently, and it makes me happy to know that you consider my story worthy of repeated reading.

La JazzFish: Thank you for the advice, like I said, constructive criticism is extremely helpful for someone like myself who is still trying to learn the ins and outs of the fanfic world.

Stratagirl5: Thanks for the review. If you ever want to chat, my screen name is Chispa74. I'll keep an eye out for you too whenever I'm on!

Disgruntledbandgeek: Thank you so much for the support. I realize that I do tend to criticize myself, a bad habit I'm trying to get rid of. In the future, I'll be sure to avoid it. Thanks for the vote of confidence!

Assassin23: Thanks for the suggestion, it's definitely one thing that I was considering when writing Shen's character. I'm not sure where exactly I'm going to go with that, but I have a pretty good idea.

Kittenofmystery: Thanks for the sudden burst of reviews! I'm glad you like my story (I'm a fan of yours), and I hope you keep reading!

To everyone else who I didn't mention by name, I'm sorry, this section just got really long, and I didn't have time to thank everyone specifically. Thanks so much to all of you, I never expected my story to get such a huge response. Oy! Sorry for the distraction, now on to the story!

~~~

            Chihiro groaned, a sound that was muffled slightly by several thick strands of hair that had fallen into her face during the night as she slept uncomfortably. Steadily, her mind began slipping back into consciousness, though she begged herself to return to the comfort of sleep. Unfortunately, her silent pleas to herself were denied. The edges of her eyelids prickled, a familiar sensation that came as part of the moment between being asleep and awake. She opened them slowly to reveal deep honey-colored eyes and blinked several times. She yawned and tried to reach up a hand to rub the last remnants of sleep from her eyes, but to no avail. Her hands wouldn't move.

            _Oh right, I forgot about that…I'm a prisoner, lovely. Good morning, Chihiro! _She thought to herself sarcastically as she fidgeted against her bonds. She stretched her neck backwards to glare at the restraints that had her arms secured firmly to the wall. Even under her unwavering glower, they refused to loosen and allow her some mobility. _Perhaps my glare is losing its potency, what a pity. I'll have to work on that. But now what happens if my nose starts to itch? What an inconvenience, I mean, they could have at least put me in a cage or something where I could move a little bit, instead of this…_

            "So you're finally up?  I'm glad, you sleep like the dead, I was worried for a while." The voice hit her ears pleasantly, a deep and steady sound. Her inner-rant was quickly forgotten.

            Chihiro redirected her attention away from her bonds and towards the young man held against the wall opposite her. The corners of his mouth were curled into a placid smile as he watched her. A blush crept onto her cheeks, but she didn't bother suppressing it as Haku was probably too far away to be able to notice. 

            "My back hurts. How long was I asleep?"

            "Not too long, maybe six hours. You should try to get some more rest, if you can." Chihiro shook her head, knowing that she wouldn't be able to sleep any longer even if she wanted to. Her hair brushed against her shoulders and face as she did so, which surprised her. She had forgotten that her hair was down and out of its usual ponytail. Her breath caught in her throat for a moment as she remembered yesterday night…

~~~

            She and Lin were standing just outside the bathhouse, staring up at it. Lin was explaining the current situation with Yubaba to an anxious Chihiro. "She says the bathhouse won't be open for a while, as she has some important business to attend to. So now, the old hag has forced all out on the streets. We don't what's going on," Lin finished, looking disgruntled and more irritable than usual.

              Chihiro cast her eyes to the ground, not wanting to believe what she was about to say. "It's Haku," she turned her gaze back to the bathhouse, "she has Haku." She paused for a moment, trying to collect herself and avoid tears. She breathed in slowly and turned to her friend. "Lin, I need your help. Can you do me a big favor?" After a moment's hesitation, Lin nodded her head uncertainly. Chihiro smiled at her and began talking excitedly, "I need you to find Zeniba and No Face for me, and bring them here."

            Lin protested, saying that there was no way she could get on a train, and even if she could, someone as powerful as Zeniba certainly wouldn't listen to her requests. Chihiro thought for a moment, when an idea came to her. Her face lit up as she hurriedly removed the hair tie Zeniba had given her all those years ago. Her long hair fell down around her face, blowing gently in the wind. She glanced down at the tie, admiring its beauty and power, before pressing it firmly into Lin's open hand. Being separated from the simple band felt almost painful; it was one of her most cherished possessions and she had worn it nearly every day for six years. But it had to be done.

            Eventually, Lin obliged and left to seek out Zeniba. Chihiro was sure that with the hair tie in her custody, Lin would have little difficulty in successfully completing her journey.

~~~

            "That's it!" she screamed suddenly with tremendous enthusiasm. She laughed ecstatically, so hard it seemed her lungs would burst, though she didn't mind. In all the excitement and fear she had experienced since entering the bathhouse, she had completely forgotten that Lin had gone to find Granny for her. "She's coming! Haku, we're going to be all right!" 

            Haku looked at her quizzically, mouth agape and eyebrows arched in confusion. "I'm afraid I don't understand what you're talking about Chihiro…Would you like to slow down, breath, and _then _explain?" It was a command more than a question.

            Chihiro did as he suggested and curbed some of her overwhelming zeal long enough to settle down and relate her story back to him. She finished with a broad smile and an animated cry of "Zeniba will come for us, I know she will! She's going to free us and then we can get out of this place!"

            Haku smiled to himself at seeing her so happy. He admired her cheerful features, and then sighed. He hated to dampen her spirits, but he felt that perhaps she was being overly optimistic, to the point of being almost delusional. "Chihiro," he said her name quietly and tenderly, in an attempt to break the news to her with some gentleness, "you know that there is a chance this won't work out, don't you? There are a million things that could go wrong; Zeniba could come too late, or not at all. She might not be able to get us out, we have no idea what Yubaba's planning, it's just so…uncertain right now. We can't rely on the hope that your friends Zeniba and No Face will come for us. At least I can't. I don't like to depend on speculations and chances." 

Upon seeing Chihiro's face, Haku instantly regretted his short speech. Her mouth was no longer brimming with excited words and turned up in a smile, but rather clamped firmly shut in grief and defeat. Her eyes were shining, but now with fresh tears, and not with the hope and anticipation that had previously been there. His heart wrenched in his chest, causing him to sputter momentarily. "I-I'm sorry Chihiro. I didn't mean to upset you. There's still a chance that they'll come, it's a wonderful idea. I bet they'll be here in no time," he finished lamely. He hadn't even convinced himself. He dared a glance over at Chihiro, and saw easily that he hadn't swayed her either. Her disappointment was written plainly on her face. 

            "No, you're right," she admitted with her face fallen, "it was silly of me to think that everything would work out perfectly like that, this isn't a fairytale, after all. I was just so excited, I got my hopes and now…" she trailed off, biting the inside of her lip.

            "No, no, I'm sorry Chihiro, really. There's still a chance, there's always a chance," he breathed out quickly. They refused to make eye contact with each other, Chihiro out of embarrassment and Haku out of guilt for making her feel unhappy. "I had no intention of hurting you…I hope you know that. I would never deliberately hurt you, never. Please, smile again. Just…smile," he pleaded desperately.

They looked at each other now, eyes meeting. Chihiro swallowed, and managed a sad, almost unnoticeable smile for him. He watched her and sighed with the knowledge that she was still extremely upset. He thought quickly, trying to think of something that might cheer her up, or at least distract her.

"Can I tell you something sort of silly?" he asked quietly. She stared at him for a long moment, briefly confused by his change of subject, but finally succumbed and nodded her head. He cleared his throat and began, carefully choosing his words. "Every time I left one of your dreams after our visit for that night was over, I'd stand just outside your door, the one that leads to your mind, I mean. And I'd stay there, sometimes for hours, just thinking. And I'd always remember that day we said good-bye, the last time I held your hand before you left. That moment repeated in my mind. And whenever it did, my hand would sort of…tingle, like it had fallen asleep, and it made me realize just how much I missed you and far away we really were. But now we're not far at all, only paces from each other." He looked her in the eye now, holding her with those green orbs, refusing to let her look away. "The moment that we're free of these bonds," he spoke softly, "the first thing I'm going to do is get that feeling back. I want to remember what it was like to hold you, I want to remember that you're real, and not just some wonderful, perfect vision that I've invented, that exists only in my mind." He paused shyly. "I'm sure that I love you." It was a simple statement, and the honesty and purity of it shook Chihiro to her core, to the point where she felt weak. 

She opened her mouth, unsure of what to say, but desperately wanting to give some sort of response. She wanted to reveal all her feelings to him, to tell him she felt that same way, that she cared for him too. "Oh, Haku-" she began to speak, but was interrupted when the doors slammed open. Shen walked in, arms crossed over his chest and nose in the air. The moment had passed with the young man's arrival, and Chihiro had missed her chance.

"Well, it seems Mistress Yubaba isn't sure what to do with you two just yet," Shen announced loudly with a disappointed look, "so she won't let me kill you. Not at the moment, anyways." He sighed and gazed wistfully down at his blade, as if imagining their blood already dripping from it. "However," he continued, looking cheerful again, "she did give me permission to come in and…see how you were recovering, river spirit. And what better way to test your strength than with a little duel? It will be great fun, and your little friend will get to watch!" he mocked as he smirked and looked over at Chihiro. "Hello darling, did you sleep well?" he inquired with feigned politeness. She let out a disgusted sigh at this, rolling her eyes at him. He pouted, "Oh, you wound me, milady. But no matter, not even a lovely woman's scorn could depress me today." He turned again, this time to look at Haku. "I do love a good fight, and I've been looking forward to this ever since we dragged your carcass back from the Dream World." 

Shen walked over to Haku with a skip in his step, whistling to himself the entire way. He took his time, savoring ever moment that went by. Finally, he pulled his sword from his sheath, cutting Haku's bonds with glee. Haku stumbled to the ground when the last restraint was cut and glared up at Shen. 

"Right," Shen bubbled merrily, "now we're all ready." He clapped his hands together happily as I to illustrate his anxiousness.

"I don't have a weapon," Haku growled. Shen fingered the blade at his side and shrugged.

"Yes, that would appear to be the case, wouldn't it? Oh well." The young man raised his blade in the air and brought it down in a flash. Haku managed to roll to the side, missing the cold steel by inches. He shoved himself roughly to his feet and took a defensive stance, preparing to dodge the next attack.

Shen looked sorely disappointed at having missed. He paused to stare thoughtfully at his weapon, as if trying to discern how he had failed to strike his opponent. His blue eyes darted across the sword, and then back to Haku. He smiled viciously at the river spirit, causing his features to take on an exaggeratedly evil appearance. The air between them hung tense as each remained still for several long moments. Finally, Shen lunged forward towards Haku and once again the tip of his blade came very near to hitting its target, but missed by a fraction of an inch as Haku jumped to the side. Chihiro screamed and struggled against her bonds, trying to free herself. She knew that Haku was still weak, and she feared he wouldn't be able to last long against Shen. 

This continued for sometime, Shen on the offense, attacking while Haku narrowly avoided his blows. Haku searched his mind, trying to remember any spell Yubaba had taught him that may have proved useful in battle. Nothing came to mind; it had been too long since he had used those skills. He was surprised that Shen hadn't used magic against him yet, but considered it lucky. He would have been finished had the apprentice done so.

Time dragged by, and Haku could feel himself rapidly losing strength. Shen, on the other hand, seemed invigorated by the battle, and showed no signs of fatigue if he felt any. He swung his sword over his head again, coming at Haku quickly. This time, he flipped the sword and shoved its hilt into Haku's side. Haku's already damaged ribs cracked under the pressure of the blow, and he fell to his knees with an agonized cry. Shen was on his knees next to Haku in an instant with the tip of his blade pressed against the injured river spirit's throat. 

"I know Yubaba told me not to kill you just yet," Shen whispered silkily into Haku's ear, "but sometimes things go wrong. Accidents can happen in the heat of battle. I'll just explain to the mistress that I got a little…carried away, and destroyed you. I'm sure she'll understand." Haku felt the steel of the weapon pierce his skin, and he knew that Shen had drawn blood. It was certainly not enough to kill him, a mere pinprick really, but it made him inhale sharply in surprise. Chihiro was screaming loudly from her place tied to the wall, and he could see her thrashing violently out of the corner of his eye. Shen followed his gaze and smirked. "Have you ever heard the phrase 'to the victor goes the spoils,' river spirit? I'd say it applies in this situation. Once I kill you, you can be certain I'll take great pleasure in spending some quality time with her. That is, before I kill her, of course." 

Haku's pulse quickened in his rage and he felt a surge of energy. He ripped himself from Shen's hold swiftly and managed to take his captor by surprise. Haku's foot contacted with Shen's stomach, sending the young man sprawling backwards as the sword fell from his hand, hitting the floor with a resonant clang. Haku took advantage of the situation and dove for the now liberated blade. Once he had grasped it firmly, he rolled back onto his feet, graceful despite the pain of his broken ribs. He looked down at the weapon in his hand and walked several paces to where Shen was lying on the floor and clutching his stomach. Haku towered over him.

"I should kill you," Haku spat out, "I should take your life right now."

"Haku, please, let's just go, I don't want to stay here anymore," the voice surprised him. He had nearly forgotten about Chihiro. He glanced back at her quickly, not wanting to take his eyes off Shen for too long. She didn't want to see Shen die, she only wanted to leave, that much was apparent from one glimpse of her frantic face. "Please, Haku."

He looked back and forth between the two and ran the fingers of his free hand through his hair. _No, she's right, now isn't the time for this. My only concern right now should be to get her out of this place. There'll be time for him later. _Haku raised the sword and brought it down forcefully. The hilt made contact with the back of Shen's head, effectively rendering him unconscious. 

Haku sighed heavily and nudged Shen's prone form with his toe. When he was satisfied, he walked over towards Chihiro.

"Thank you," she mumbled, "I just didn't want to see someone die, not even someone as terrible as him. I just couldn't-"

Haku held a finger to his lips with a gentle "shh," stopping her mid-sentence. "It's all right, Chihiro. Just be still for a moment, please, while I cut your bonds." He strode over to her side and sliced through the ropes carefully, until the last fiber had fallen to the ground at her feet. She faltered, her legs unused to supporting the weight of her body, and rubbed her wrists where the tight ropes had cut into her skin. After several flinches and groans of discomfort, she stopped massaging her tender skin and looked up at Haku.

He was right there, staring down at her with eyes so full of emotion that she was almost overwhelmed by them, completely lost to the sheer feeling and power they held. She tilted her head back so that she could look at him better and chewed on her bottom lip. Slowly, she reached a hand out towards him, as if her fingers were magnetically drawn to his face. She paused when the tips of her fingers were just shy of touching his cheek and closed her eyes. _After all these years, finally…_ she thought to herself. Her hand pressed against the side of his face, his warm, soft face, so full of life. For the first time in six years, she was completely, totally, beyond a shadow of a doubt, positive that he truly existed.    

"Haku, you feel…_real_" she breathed out. She realized how ridiculous it sounded milliseconds after it left her lips, but it was true. After so many years of waiting, he finally felt real to her. She laughed, partially out of embarrassment, but primarily out of joy.

Haku reached up his own hand and placed it on top of hers as it lay on his face. "You feel real too," he whispered with a brilliant smile. He watched her face light up, with eyes sparkling up at him in a way he never would have believed possible if he hadn't seen it. "Now I remember what it's like! Chihiro, we're real!" he cried once more, scooping the blushing young woman up in his arms, completely forgetting the pain of his broken ribs. She gasped in surprise and instinctively threw her arms around his neck. He spun her around once as she laughed, an all-encompassing laugh that was filled with everything she felt for him. She had never felt more real than she did in that moment.

He set her down, holding her close to him, and smiled contentedly, though she couldn't see it. He could feel her next to him, her heart beating, her breath wafting along his neck, and it amazed him. After several moments had passed, she pulled back from him a little, just enough so that she could look into his eyes. She sighed and placed her forehead against his own so that their noses touched gently. 

"You know, Kohaku," she said softly, using his full name, much to his delight, "I never got to finish what I was saying before Shen came in." He opened his mouth, but closed it again quickly, waiting for her to continue. She inhaled slowly. "I don't think I can put it as beautifully as you did, you're so much more graceful than I am in so many ways, but I wanted to tell you that I, well, I feel the same." She wasn't sure why she was hesitating, but she was. She wasn't used to this sort of thing, to being so open about her emotions. But he had revealed himself to her, so she felt that the least she could do was be honest with him. "I believe that I love you."

He smiled down at her, his eyes shining. "Oh, you believe that, now do you?" he quipped gently.

"Yes, I believe I do," she replied with a grin. They smiled at each other, laughing in spite of themselves, in spite of their situation. They would have been an odd sight to see had anyone walked in at that moment; two disheveled, bruised young people with arms wrapped around each other tightly, laughing hysterically. Neither one could remember many instances in which they had been happier than they were now. 

Once their laughter subsided, Haku put a hand under Chihiro's chin and tilted it up slightly. She searched his eyes, so serious now, but still so full of life and love. He sighed and leaned closer to her, his eyes never leaving hers. She found it suddenly difficult to breathe. So instead of breathing, she did the only other thing she could think to do, the only thing that seemed natural. She kissed him. Or perhaps he kissed her, neither one was really sure, and honestly, neither one really cared. They would both remember it as being that they had kissed _each other._

Six years of emotion, of missed opportunities, of friendship and love went into that kiss. It was overpowering, amazing, wonderful, if not a little shaky as well. Haku wrapped one arm around her waist, and let the other glide around her shoulder so that his hand was buried in her soft hair. She allowed herself to fall against him, one hand resting on his chest, the other at the back of his neck. Her head was swimming and she lost track of the time as they stayed that way.

Finally, painfully, Haku pulled himself away from her, ending their first kiss. "Wow," he murmured into her ear. They smiled at each other again. She could tell he regretted stopping, but something else was clearly on his mind. He cleared his throat and then spoke quietly. "We should really get out of here while we still can. Before he wakes up," he gestured to the still unmoving Shen with a lopsided grin, "or before someone comes looking for him. Come on." 

He took her hand and abruptly they were running from the room and down the halls. Haku seemed to know his way through the dizzying series of corridors, so Chihiro was happy to let him lead the way. She noticed fleetingly that he was clutching his side where his ribs were most likely broken with his left hand. She cringed on his behalf, wondering how he could stand the pain. Soon, the door that Chihiro recognized as the exit came into view. She breathed a sigh of relief. And then she noticed the guards. Four of them were waiting in front of the door, blocking their outlet.  

"Oh great."

~~~

Author's Note: Right, and I'll leave you there for now. It's not really a cliffhanger, well, maybe it sort of is, I don't know. I'll let you be the judge. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I had some sap in there for the diehard romantics, and a little bit of action too for everyone else. In the next chapter, you can look forward to a lot more action, and probably some more romance too, if I feel like it. Anyways, thanks again for reading and to all the people who have reviewed, I love you! Heh. Bye for now, I'll try to get another chapter up within the week!


	9. Strides

Author's Note: Ok, bear with my on this author's note; it's long, but important. First off I would like to say: Gah! Damn you fanfiction.net! DAMN YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ok, so fanfiction.net deleted all of the reviews I got between the 10th and the 14th, and I'm all sad now. I know I got them, because I have the little review alert thing, so I got e-mails with the reviews in them, they just won't show up on the site. So, here's the deal, I have a favor to ask of some of you…if you submitted a review and it didn't show up, would you maybe mind…submitting it again? Heh, sorry, I know, it's a lot to ask, but I'd really like to see my reviews. It helps me out a lot to see what people like and don't like, the input is really nice. If you have an account with ff.net, you can just go to review history, and the review you left should show up, so…yeah. Of course, if you think it's any utter waste of your time (which many of you may), don't bother; I don't want to inconvenience you. 

The good thing is, I saved the last few e-mails I got that had reviews for this story in them, so I still have the reviews left by Lavender-lilacs, Lynnie, and JersyGirl03 saved in my mailbox. Thanks for your reviews you guys. If you guys would like to submit your reviews again, that would be awesome, otherwise I may just cut and past your reviews and put them on the site…lame, yes, but I want to be able to remember everything people have said to me! If my cutting and pasting your reviews isn't cool with you, just e-mail me and let me know or something. 

All right, now about my story…since my last few chapters have pretty much been all Haku and Chihiro, I'm including some scenes featuring other characters in this chapter too. I really wanted to give some insight into Yubaba's character, since I think I have her pretty under-developed at this point. And the same goes for Shen. Hopefully this chappy will shed some light on my personal thoughts on them. Rah.

And finally, I will be leaving on vacation on Tuesday, and I'll be gone for about five days, so my next chapter may take a little longer to come out than usual. Of course, if I get home and there are tons of reviews, I might just be inclined to work really hard and update super-quickly. That's right, I'm bribing you. Review! Anyways, onto the story (finally…)

Disclaimer: No own.

~~~

            Yubaba rubbed her temples slowly, her cold, gnarled fingers moving in a soothing circular motion. Unruly strands of frosty white hair fell out of her usually impeccable bun, giving her a careless appearance that had the effect of making her look almost as terrible as she felt. Her eyes were closed and her mouth was pursed tightly. At that moment, she would have welcomed death, or a nice vacation, at the very least.

            Shen had visited her only a few hours before, asking _yet again_ if he had permission to kill Haku, or "that bastard river spirit," as he so crudely liked to put it. He came in nearly every hour to see her, growing increasingly zealous and anxious each time. Actually, she was surprised she hadn't received a visit from him recently. What she didn't know was that at that moment, he was laying unconscious in the room where Haku and Chihiro had formerly been held, the result of his battle with the river spirit. 

When he'd last come in and asked permission to execute Haku, Yubaba had refused him, once again, saying that she was still trying to figure out what to do with Haku and looking at her options, trying to determine what would be the most beneficial move, and other such standard excuses. However, if she was being completely honest, she didn't want to see Haku dead because she had something of a soft spot for him, and for the human girl, Sen, as well. Of course, she couldn't admit that, she could _never_ admit that. In the business world, reputation was all that mattered. She feared that if her employees knew how deeply touched she'd been by watching Haku and Sen together, it would destroy the image she'd tried so hard to create for years. She wanted them to respect her, to be in awe of her, perhaps even to fear her. If the truth were discovered, they wouldn't. She was positive of that. But the fact remained; she couldn't bear to sentence her former apprentice to death.

            Yes, she had certainly been livid when Haku had failed to repay her for granting him his freedom. And yes, she had been ecstatic when they had found him in the Dream World and brought him back to the bathhouse, but the more she thought about it, the more she realized that although she was most seriously upset with him, she didn't want to see him die. 

Shen was an excellent student, with the heart of a warrior, but he had a side that disturbed the old witch. He had a bloodlust, and she feared one day it might drive him mad. Or perhaps he already was mad. Haku, on the other hand, was always a much kinder boy. Under her orders, he'd put on a strong, arrogant façade for the masses and the workers of the bathhouse, but that wasn't who he really was. She saw his true nature when Sen had come into his life. Those moments she saw them together gave her more insight into his soul than her hours of training with him ever had. He was brilliant, certainly, and most assuredly powerful, but he was kind as well. At first she had tried to break him of it, regarding his kind disposition as a weakness or a flaw. In effect, she had tried to make him into exactly what Shen was now, exactly what she most feared. But in truth, she envied Haku his good heart.

Yubaba was torn. After so many years, she had lost herself in her work, forgetting what her life had been like in happier years, years past. She wanted to succumb to her greed, to her anger, to her hatred, but there was always some small part of her, nearly lost amongst the tides of evil that swept through her heart, that reminded her of what she truly was. That insignificant, miniscule part of her soul that showed her all she was capable of being, all the love she was capable of showing, and the good she was capable of doing. The part of her that was more like…Zeniba. Perhaps that was why she feared her sister. Not because of her power and influence, but because she showed Yubaba everything she wanted to be, and everything she so deeply despised all at once. Yubaba's twin sister was like a mirror image of herself, in many ways. And it frightened her.

Haku had done exactly what Yubaba was too scared to do; he'd fought back against the darkness, against the hate and the temptation and corruption of power. He'd become a better person. Yubaba gasped in several quick breaths of air, tears welling in her eyes all the while. She clenched her eyes shut even more firmly, refusing to let those tears escape. Her head reeled as she thought of Haku.

            _No, Haku won't die today, _she thought to herself, _perhaps not tomorrow or even the day after either…_

~~~

"Oh great," came Chihiro's voice loudly upon seeing the guards standing at the door. Unfortunately, her careless mutter had alerted the guards to their presence and four sets of glaring eyes were now trained onto Chihiro and Haku with interest. She threw her hands up and cupped them firmly over her mouth, completely horrified with herself for her rashness. She had always wished she wasn't in the habit of speaking before thinking, and now she was especially resentful of her flaw. Her mouth was forever getting her into trouble. It was too little too late, though, the damage had already been done.

            "Hey, those are the prisoners, I think they escaped," one guard shouted. Somehow he managed to point out the obvious with a look of wide-eyed surprise.

            "Oh really, you think so? I thought maybe Shen had just let them out for a little stroll," responded another guard, the sarcasm in his voice far from subtle. He looked over at the former guard with a sneer. They exchanged nasty looks for a moment, seemingly forgetting about the prisoners altogether.

            Haku grabbed Chihiro's hand instantly and once again they were running, only this time in the opposite direction, away from the exit. Behind them, she heard shouts of "Hey, come back here!" or "They're getting away again!" and similar pointless comments emitting from the guards. She would have laughed at their incompetence, had the circumstances been tilted more in her favor. As it was, she currently needed to focus on running, not on exercising her sense of humor. 

            She glanced over her shoulder momentarily and saw that the four guards were in pursuit, but weren't moving very quickly. Each of them was trying to take the lead, and as a result, they spent a good deal of time stumbling over each other and getting stuck side by side, wedged between the walls of the cramped, narrow passageways. Needless to say, they weren't making very good time, and she and Haku were outdistancing them easily. Yubaba's words echoed in her ears, "it's so hard to find good help these days." Chihiro was inclined to agree with the witch on this particular point; these guards were idiots.   

            Haku rounded a sharp corner, tugging her roughly along with him. She stumbled at the sudden change of direction, but her firm grasp on Haku prevented her from falling, for which she was exceedingly grateful.

            "Just a little further, I promise" he coaxed, perhaps feeling badly for nearly causing her to trip. "I know a secret. This next door should be a back exit, it will lead us out, as long as it hasn't been-" he threw open the door "blocked off," he ended with a look of dismay. Chihiro peered over his shoulder, and saw that the door was just that: blocked off. Behind the door was a sturdy wall, a barricade. "I thought Yubaba might have done this, she knows that I've used this exit before. She planned ahead, she made sure there was no way we would escape." 

            "What are we going to do, Haku?" Chihiro asked nervously as she turned around and looked anxiously down the hallway behind them. She sighed. At least the guards hadn't made an appearance yet. She plopped herself down on the floor in frustration, putting her head in her hands with a mixture of a pout and a fearful gaze on her face. Haku looked down at her, deciding silently that at that moment, she looked entirely like she had when she was ten. He'd seen that look before. 

            "I don't know, Chihiro," he said with a distraught sigh. He put one hand behind his head and placed the other on the barrier behind the door. He leaned against the obstruction, and promptly fell through, disappearing behind the thick panels. He lurched forward, but only momentarily, and caught himself easily before he came anywhere near to hitting the floor.

            Chihiro perked up. "Haku…you went through the barrier! How did you do that?" She paused and furrowed her brow. Slowly, a smile grew on her face and she began chattering happily. "I bet you did magic! This is great! I know you thought you forgot how, but-"

            Haku stopped her, "No, I didn't do magic," he paused. Chihiro could plainly hear the disappointment and melancholy in his voice, even though she couldn't see him. "This barrier is a fake, it's just an illusion," he stuck a hand through it as if to prove his point. It was eerie, seeing his hand sticking through what appeared to be a completely genuine, solid wall. "Well, come on." He reached his hand out further towards her. She stared back and forth between her hand and his apparently disembodied one for a moment, and then shrugged. She grasped his hand and closed her eyes before stepping through the wall. 

            "It's all right, you can open your eyes," came Haku's amused voice. She did so, and saw that she had indeed made it through the apparition, and was now standing in a small, darkly lit room next to Haku. "Right, follow me and stay close."

            Chihiro was, naturally, more than willing to do both. They made their way down a long spiral staircase that wound around in a tight coil. After about three minutes, she began to feel a little bit dizzy, but was spared the pain of becoming completely nauseated when Haku stopped. She bumped into him, the consequence of following just a little _too _closely. They had reached the bottom of the ridiculously long staircase, and were now standing in front of a small wooden door. It was covered in mold and rot, and looked as though it had been neglected and forgotten for centuries. 

            "All right, we're here," Haku said quietly. He turned the doorknob and opened the door slowly. Light spilled into the dim stairwell, illuminating the faces of the two young escape artists pleasantly. It felt like ages since either one of them had seen the sun. Chihiro stretched, her arms reaching towards the sky as she did so, like a flower in bloom, growing towards the warmth of the comforting yellow sun. 

            "We made it," Chihiro sighed, enjoying the feel of the tender rays embracing her, "we made it."

~~~

            "Hurry!" Lin shouted impatiently. She clenched her teeth together and stared behind her with a fiery expression. She knew it probably wasn't wise to bark orders at a powerful witch such as Zeniba, but she was getting edgy. Chihiro's plan had worked perfectly, the hair tie had certainly done the trick, and now Lin, Zeniba, and even No-Face were rushing towards the bathhouse in the hopes of helping their friend. Well, Lin was rushing, the other two were ambling along, as if they were on a simple stroll. Lin growled in frustration as she looked over her shoulder at them sauntering a good thirty feet behind her. 

            "Do you want to save Sen, I mean Chihiro," Lin corrected herself, still not used to calling her friend by her true name, "or not? Well?!" She was fuming now.

            "Calm down child," Zeniba replied evenly, secretly amused by the look on Lin's face, "for now, Chihiro is entirely safe. Haku is seeing to that. They won't need our help for at least, oh, four more minutes," she said with a dismissive wave of her ancient hand. She was right, of course, at the moment, Chihiro and Haku were just entering the secret exit. No-Face, or Kaonashi, nodded in agreement with Zeniba's statement. 

            Lin wasn't completely satisfied with the old woman's answer, but slowed down her pace a little. She sincerely hoped her temporary companion was right, she didn't want to let Chihiro down. The human girl had taught her so much about herself, and Lin wanted badly to be able to repay her somehow.

            _Don't worry, Chihiro, I promised I wouldn't let you down, and I'll keep that promise…even if I have to whip this witch into shape to do it. _Lin chuckled to herself quietly. _I'll see you again soon, you little klutz. _

~~~

            Chihiro laughed, delighted to be free of the bathhouse, her prison. She leaped out of the door ahead of Haku and spun around with her arms outstretched and her face tilted up towards the sky. Her face was flushed with excitement, highlighting the naturally rosy color of her cheeks. Haku watched her out of the corner of his eye with a wistful smile. Chihiro felt his gaze on her, and stopped spinning. A light shiver ran up her spine. She smiled over at him, several long strands of hair spilling over her shoulder and covering the right side of her face, partially obscuring it from Haku's view. She pushed them to the side gently, and walked slowly towards the young man. She stopped a few feet in front of him and grinned up at him. The air hung between them for a moment, heavy with silence. 

            "You know, you're great!" Chihiro exclaimed suddenly, throwing her arms around his shoulders and hugging him tightly as she did so. "Thank you so much, for everything. I would have died in that place if it hadn't been for you. Thank you, thank you." 

            Chihiro had taken Haku by surprise yet again, and he wasn't entirely sure what to do. She was probably the only person who could catch him off his guard, and, in a way, he sort of enjoyed it. He liked the spontaneity of it, never being quite sure what she would do next. He returned the hug lightly and hesitated for a moment. Finally, he leaned forward and kissed her gently and clumsily on the forehead. Chihiro's face would have shown him her initial shock, and then her happy expression seconds later, had she not buried her face in his chest. Haku enjoyed the sensation of holding her briefly, and then pulled back a little and separated from her.

            "Well," he finally said, clearing his throat as he did so, "I guess we should keep going, you know, put some distance between ourselves and the bathhouse, just in case. I don't want to stick around to see what will happen when Yubaba's figured out that we've escaped." He looked up towards the top floor that was home to her office and laughed ruefully. "I almost feel sorry for the guard who has to tell her we escaped, I expect she won't be very pleased."

            "Yeah, she seems like the type who might 'shoot the messenger,'" Chihiro replied with a lopsided grin. Haku peered down at her with a confused look, not fully understanding the human expression. "Never mind, it's just a phrase we use sometimes in the Human World," she added with a shake of her head. Haku opened his mouth into a small "O," and then nodded. They exchanged one last, long glance and smile, and were off.

            They moved at a steady pace, jogging easily beside each other.  Their bare feet hit the earth beneath them steadily, kicking up small clouds of dust as they rounded a corner of the bathhouse. The terrible sight that greeted them quickly destroyed their high spirits. 

~~~

            The world around him slowly drifted back into focus. His mind and his vision were clouded, like a sea covered in lingering fog after a storm. The tempest in his head had subsided, but the residual pain remained. Shen pushed himself off the ground where he lay with a groan. _The river spirit and the girl…_ he thought to himself. He looked around and saw neither Haku nor Chihiro in the room. They'd escaped. He had no idea how long he'd been out, it could have been a matter of minutes, or hours. After flinching in pain, he growled to himself, his rage boiling in his chest at the thought of his former prisoners, ready to explode. He leaned back his head and let out a tormented scream, trying to push his pain and his defeat out of his mind along with his piercing cry. He'd been beaten, humiliated. He'd failed, and his pride had taken a severe blow as a result. He winced. All that mattered now was revenge. He'd find them both, Haku and the girl and this time he wouldn't toy with them; he'd kill them. Just simply kill them. It wasn't nearly as much fun for him, but at that point he was hardly in the mood to play games anyways. 

            He stood for a moment, his hands clenched into fists at his sides and his chest heaving with his heavy breathing. Slowly, a cold smile twisted onto his lips. He had a plan. 

Shen closed his eyes and let the transformation take over, engulfing his entire being. His form twisted, writhing under the pressure of the metamorphosis. The sound that left his lips was a mixture of agony and hysteria. A scream, a laugh, all in one. It filled the room, echoing off the walls, magnifying, growing in a steady crescendo with each moment that passed. With one final shriek, a thick coat of black hair sprouted from his follicles and covered his body. He bowed his head as his nose became elongated and his nails grew into sharp, glistening claws. When the transformation was complete, he collapsed to the floor, momentarily exhausted, but his icy eyes shone with delight and malice the entire time. A large black wolf sat where the human form of Shen had previously been. But this was still him, only in his other form, his _powerful_ form. In this state, his primal instincts took over, he was a demon, a monster, a destroyer. And he loved it. 

            Like Haku, Shen was an elemental spirit, only he was a wind spirit, a master of the sky. But he had been banished from the Human Realm, exiled by the gods. He'd been reckless, dangerous and a threat to humanity, and for that, the gods had punished him. They'd sentenced him to spend his days in the Spirit World, to live amongst others like himself, where he would not be able to cause as much damage. No lives would be at risk with him nestled away there. Or at least that's what the gods had planned. They hadn't foreseen Shen's actions, hadn't expected him to seek out the witch Yubaba to teach him and help him grow stronger. It was a terrible oversight. And now they would pay for it, Shen would see that they all paid.

            He raised his nose in the air, picking up the familiar scent of his two former prisoners. He let out a long, mournful, evil howl, and sprinted off after them. His muscular legs carried him quickly through the halls of the bathhouse and towards his prey. His fangs glistened in anticipation and his mouth twisted into a smile. This time, there would be no escape for the river spirit.

~~~

            Chihiro and Haku gasped simultaneously at the sight that met them, jade and honey-colored eyes flying wide open in shock. An entire fleet of guards surrounded a stunned Haku and Chihiro. Apparently, the guards that had been chasing them earlier had alerted their colleagues and informed them of the prisoners' escape. _Perhaps those four weren't so dim-witted after all_…Chihiro thought to herself, almost amused by the irony of the situation. 

            Next to her, Haku balled his hands into fists and tightened his muscles in worry and anticipation. His eyes flashed dangerously, dancing across the wall of guards before him. There were too many of them, far too many for him to fend off, but he had to try. For Chihiro. Chihiro looked back and forth between Haku and the sea of guards that stood in front of them. She opened her mouth slightly and stared at the young man next to her, disbelief clearly written on her face when she realized what he planned to do.

            "Are you absolutely crazy?!" she half-hissed, half-shouted, "you can't take all of these guys. You're too weak, you…your ribs!" she sputtered. She looked down at his side with concern. 

            "Everything will be all right, Chihiro," he replied, facing forward towards the guards and not looking at his flustered companion. His features were set firmly with determination. He tried to keep his voice steady and confident, but the slight waver in it betrayed him. Chihiro knew instantly that he was just as worried as she was. She gulped.

            Haku reached out suddenly and grabbed her hand, drawing her closer to him in a protective manner. His form next to her felt horribly cold, as thought the blood in his veins had frozen over. It scared her. She shuddered and released herself from him, taking a step forward and positioning herself between Haku and the guards.

            "He can't fight you," she stated, her voice carrying easily through the stagnant air, over towards the guards. She paused. For a moment, there was a hush, a stillness. The voices of man and beast alike were silenced, and even the wind dared not stir. Neither Chihiro, Haku or any of the guards made a move. Chihiro's voice caught in her throat, the words forcing at her lips, begging to be released. Her lower lip quivered imperceptibly under the strain, and finally she opened her mouth again to speak. She paused. 

In the back of her mind, she heard a voice, small, nearly inaudible, but comforting and familiar all the same. It told her to be strong, told her that was help was coming, and that soon all would be well. She closed her eyes and let the voice wash over her in gentle waves. It gave her strength. She felt safe, confident. She smiled and opened her eyes again. "He can't fight you right now," she continued, "because, at the moment, you have _much_ bigger problems to deal with," she finished emphatically, staring at the guards.

            They looked bewildered for a moment, regarding the girl curiously. Slowly, peals of laughter rose from them as they reveled at the pure ridiculousness of the girl's statement. Chihiro smiled, knowing that they wouldn't be laughing for long. Movement caught her eye, as what appeared to be a simple white cloud descended on the men, casting them into shadow. Closer inspection revealed that it was not, in actuality, a cloud, but rather an enormous fleet of white, paper birds. 

The first one dove, colliding with one of the guards and cutting his cheek. He reached up a hand and removed it quickly, staring at the blood smeared on it. He craned his neck backwards and looked to the sky in confusion and gasped. Others mimicked him and looked towards the sky as well. They noticed the birds just in time to start running. Hundreds, perhaps even thousands of the enchanted paper birds plummeted down towards them, wrapping the men in a sheet of white.  

Haku put a hand on Chihiro's shoulder, "Zeniba?" he whispered. He recognized the attack, remembering, with a wince, the day he had stolen Zeniba's golden seal, and had been assailed violently by the same paper birds that were now defending him. It was an interesting twist of fate. Chihiro nodded her head in response to his question, confirming his theory.

The guards were tearing back towards the entrance to the bathhouse, desperate to escape the wrath of Zeniba's flock. Chihiro and Haku stood side by side and watched the events unfold in front of them in a mixture of fascination and horror. It would have been a beautiful scene, watching the birds dance through the sky and catch the light of the sun delicately, had the situation not been so terrible. Once again, Haku drew Chihiro in towards him, hugging her closely. 

"One of my personal favorites," came a cheerful voice from behind them once all of the guards had retreated into the safety of the building. Chihiro and Haku turned around to see Zeniba standing there, admiring her work with satisfaction, with Lin and No-Face in tow as well. She whistled sharply, and the flock of paper birds flew towards her. She waved a hand, and they disappeared from view with a flash of radiant silver light. 

"Well, aren't you going to give your Granny a hug?" the kindly witch inquired of Chihiro with a raised eyebrow. Chihiro looked up at Haku, who smiled down at her happily. She planted a quick kiss on his cheek and went sprinting into Zeniba's arms. The old woman received her warmly, smothering her in a motherly hug.   

"Granny!" Chihiro cried out, "thank you, thank you so much, I'm so glad you're here! That was amazing, you saved us!"

"Nothing to it, Chihiro, darling. My, it's good to see you again," her face brightened as a smile graced her lips, "you've grown up so much. Not the gawky little thing you used to be, are you? You look beautiful."

Chirhiro released her from the hug and smiled at the woman before her, her eyes shining with the threat of tears. She grabbed Zeniba's hand and squeezed it tightly. Seeing her again brought back so many wonderful memories. With her Granny there, Chihiro almost felt like she was home again, she felt safe, and loved. She sniffled as she thought of her parents and her little brother back in the Human World. _I miss them so much…_she thought to herself longingly. She looked back at Granny and then glanced over at Lin and No-Face, who were beaming at her. She loved them all so much; she could remember very few times when she had been so thrilled to see someone as she was to see all of them. Chihiro sighed to herself. She had two homes, two families, two sets of people who cared for her deeply. She wished she could be with them both, always, but that was impossible. She could have the happiness and joy of being with one of her families, but only at the expense of leaving the other behind, in a different world altogether. It hardly seemed fair. She shook her head, rubbing one stray tear from her face as she did so.

"Hey, no crying!" Lin shouted over at her with mock anger, "you may make me get a little misty too," she finished quietly. Chihiro laughed and ran over to give Lin a hug. After she had embraced her friend, she turned to No-Face as well, who bowed his head and sighed in greeting.

Haku stood awkwardly in the distance, eyes to the ground and seemingly very focused on his foot, which he prodded the ground with gently. He was happy for Chihiro, happy to see her reunited with the people she loved, but he couldn't help but feel a little out of place. He had a history, a reputation. He didn't think these people would be willing to forgive him of his past crimes very quickly, even if he had redeemed himself. They might tolerate him, put up with him for Chihiro's sake, but he was positive they would never love him the way they loved her. 

He glanced over at the happy crowd, but hastily snapped his eyes back towards the ground, feeling as though he was intruding on them somehow. An outsider. He'd always been one, there was no reason this instance would be any different. 

Chihiro's eyes wandered away from the grinning faces of her recently arrived friends, falling on Haku's form several feet from where she and the others stood. He looked so dejected standing there alone, like a little boy on his first day of school who hadn't made any friends yet, and had only himself for company during recess. Her face softened and she let out a small breath of air. Excusing herself from her friends for a moment, she wandered steadily over towards him.

"You know, you're part of this family too," she said gently. Her voice was soft, barely above a whisper, but entirely sincere. She put a hand under his chin and tilted it up, so that now he was looking straight into her eyes, and no longer at the earth beneath him. She smiled at him luminously. The river spirit bit his lip and tried to look away from her in shame, but found that he couldn't. There was something about the way she was looking at him that prevented him from focusing on anything else. Gradually, he felt the corners of his mouth turn into a smile. _She_ wanted him there, he could see it in her eyes, and that was all that really mattered. 

"Aw, come on, lovebirds, we don't have all day! Let's get out of this place!" Lin insisted, waving her arms spiritedly. Chihiro couldn't help but laugh. She grabbed Haku firmly by the wrist and hauled him towards the others. 

Zeniba nodded. "Come, we'd better get moving before my charming sister makes an appearance." With that, they were off.

~~~

            Later that night, the group of five found themselves in a small forest grove, several miles from the bathhouse. They were huddled around a small fire that Zeniba had created.

            "Zeniba, if you don't mind my asking, where exactly are we going? Isn't this the opposite direction of your house? I just sort of assumed that's where we'd be going, since it would be safe and…" Chihiro trailed off, not wholly sure what else to say.

            "Well, normally that's where I'd take you, but I think your young man has other plans, don't you Haku?" Zeniba replied, turning to face him. She folded her hands across her lap, staring at him knowingly. He sighed.

            "Yes, something has been bothering me," he began hesitantly. He cleared his throat. "You see, when Yubaba came to the Dream World and captured me, I'm afraid she might have done something…terrible. I think her men may have destroyed everything. I don't know what state the land is in now, but I feel that I have a duty to go back, because I, well I want to make sure everything is all right. It was my home for many years and there are…people that I care about there. I fear for their safety," he finished, his voice dropping to a worried murmur.

            Chihiro's eyes widened. She hadn't expected that, but now that she thought about it, it made perfect sense. The Dream World. Of course he would want to see it again and make sure everything was well, it made perfect sense.

            Haku exhaled heavily. When he inhaled again, the scent of the burning wood from the fire flooded his senses. It was soothing, despite the difficult position he found himself in. He didn't know whether Chihiro and the others would be willing to accompany him on his journey, and, in truth, he didn't know if he even wanted them to come. He would hate to be responsible for putting them in harm's way.

            He looked around at their faces. The flames from the fire licked at the sky and illuminated his companions, giving them all an odd sort of glow. He couldn't be sure what any of them were thinking at that moment, but one thing was utterly certain; he would make that voyage back to the land of dreams, no matter what.

~~~

            A dark figure crouched in the bushes on the fringe of the glade that concealed Chihiro and her companions from the outside world. The light from their modest fire didn't penetrate the deepest shadows of the woods, so the wolf that lay there remained entirely hidden from them. 

            He growled to himself, upset by his bad luck thus far. His hunt was certainly not going as planned. He couldn't attack the river spirit now, not with the witch Zeniba so near by. He was brash, but certainly not so ignorant as to think that he could challenge a powerful woman such as herself. He dug his claws into the ground, imagining mirthfully what he would do to Haku the minute Zeniba's back was turned. For now, he would simply have to wait. Patience was not usually among his (extremely limited) virtues, but for the pleasure of killing his mistress' former apprentice, he was willing to endure the delay. 

~~~

Author's Note: Well, there ya have it folks, an extra-long chapter just for you, to make up for the fact that I wouldn't get to update the next one as soon as I'd like since I'm going on vacation. However, as I've mentioned before, reviews are a great motivator *nudge nudge, wink wink*** **and they just might convince me to really work my butt off when I get back. That's right, I'm begging for reviews! But of course, I will still do my best to update quickly, even if I only get one review. What can I say; I'm having fun writing this. Heh. Also, if you guys get anxious waiting for the next chapter, you could always go read my other story to tide you over… (/shameless plug). I should have the next chapter for that one up tomorrow before I leave! Yay!

            Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chappy, it was fun, though a little difficult, to write. If you'd like me to e-mail you next time I update, just tell me in your review or get in touch with me at chispa74@aol.com. Thanks, I love you all. Also, I really wanted to do individual thank yous to the people who have reviewed recently, but since ff.net deleted a lot of my reviews (grr!) I couldn't, but I will on the next chapter. Thanks again, adios!   


	10. Revelations and Choices

Author's Note: Yay! I finally got the chance to update this story again. Actually, I've been back from vacation for quite a while now, it's just taken me a long time to get around to writing. My migraines are partially to blame (I've been getting really bad ones lately and it's been hard to write), but so is the fact that overall, I'm just _really_ busy. Anyway, please don't kill me for not updating sooner. Thanks to everyone who's been reviewing, you're all awesome! More notes at the bottom.

~~~

            Chihiro was not a morning person, especially not after spending a rather uncomfortable night sleeping in a pile of weeds in the great outdoors. She opened her eyes regretfully, letting the intense morning sun awaken her senses, and groaned miserably. Her back was stiff and cracked painfully with each movement, no matter how subtle, and her hair was tangled aggravatingly with sticks, leaves, and other bits of the immediate environment. She moaned once more and took in her temporary surroundings with half-opened eyes, hooded under heavy eyelids and thick lashes. She noticed, with mild annoyance, that Haku was already up, and looking as well kempt and put together as always. She muttered to herself and stretched her throbbing legs, flicking dirt off of them as she did.

            Haku turned to her, finally noticing that she was awake, and smiled. "Ah, good morning," he greeted her happily. She grunted irritably and sent him a contemptuous look in reply. He laughed lightly and shook his head, his green eyes shining. He was glad to finally have someone to talk to again, even if that someone wasn't in the best of moods. He gave her a coy smile. "Come on, Chihiro, the others have been up for hours. Zeniba's taken Lin and No-Face with her to find us something to eat, and they should have breakfast for us at any moment."

            At this, Chihiro perked up. Perhaps the only thing that sounded more appealing than a few extra moments of sleep was a good meal. Her stomach grumbled softly, as if in consensus. "Great," she remarked, standing up finally and looking around their modest campsite to see if there was anything she could do to help.

            She ambled over to Haku, who was throwing logs on the slowly dying fire. Hesitantly, Chihiro picked up a stick and prodded the dimming embers, pushing them under the new logs in an effort help the new wood ignite more quickly. They sparked and crackled as she guided them, flames slowly beginning to lick at the fresh wood. When she was satisfied, she tilted her head and rested it on her right hand and looked over at Haku. The soft light of the fire played gently across his features.

He set one final log on the fire and wiped his hands together slowly. With a contented sigh, he arched his back and stretched in a manner that Chihiro found highly reminiscent of the way he moved in his dragon form. Graceful, steady, and strong. She grinned to herself, thinking that perhaps he wasn't as changed as he believed. She could sense that the magic wasn't entirely gone from him; she could feel his power and strength just from watching his impressive form. He turned his eyes to her. She blushed and looked away quickly, embarrassed at being caught staring. Chihiro shifted uncomfortably and stared at the ground while he continued stretching. 

"I'm coming with you, Haku," she blurted out quickly after a moment's silence. He stopped mid-stretch, dropping his arms to his side, forgotten in his surprise at her words. He raised his eyes to meet hers with a confused expression and opened his mouth to speak. She cut him off before he had the chance. "To the Dream World, I mean. I'm coming with you. I want to help. I just feel like this is at least partially my fault. After all, that, that _connection_ we had because of the Dream World, I benefited from it too, so you shouldn't be the only one, you know, to take all this on. I want to help you save the Dream World, if we can. It's my responsibility too."

            He smiled at her sadly, and put a hand to his chin, cupping it between his thumb and index finger. "I thought you might feel that way…and a part of me wants you to come along, yet I also fear for your safety. I don't want anything to happen to you." He reached over the fire and took her hand in his own. "You must know that this is going to be dangerous. It's a long trip, and since I've lost my ability to transform, I'm afraid it will be all the more difficult," he finished miserably. He surveyed her, scrutinizing and watching her body language and facial expressions for any trace of doubt or apprehension. She showed none. Her eyes flashed with a blaze of defiance that rivaled their campfire and her jaw was set firmly. 

            She waved a hand in the air and tossed her hair over her shoulder. "Yes, I figured it would be hard, but we've been in some sticky situations before. We can handle it," she smiled nonchalantly.

            "When did you become such an optimist?" Haku asked, grinning over at her.

She scoffed and rolled her eyes at him, managing to playfully throw a handful of leaves in his direction as she did so. "What can I say, I'm just a big ball of sunshine," she laughed. Her features became serious once more and she gave the young man a thoughtful look. "Haku, I'm coming with you, that's all there is to it. Besides, I'm sure Zeniba and the others will come along to help us. We'll be fine."

            "Unfortunately, that might not be possible." It was Zeniba. Her voice, which was usually so comforting and soothing, was now edged with a trace of regret, and perhaps even fear. She, Lin and No-Face emerged from the forest carrying some fruit and the carcasses of several odd animals Chihiro had never seen before. They looked like toads, only with fur, and had six legs rather than the standard four. Chihiro made a face briefly. Breakfast. She tore her eyes away from the soon-to-be meal and met Zeniba's gaze.

            "What do you mean?" she asked quietly.

            "I mean, I may not be able to accompany you on your journey all the way – no, just wait child, let me explain," she added hastily at Chihiro's cry of protest, "I can come with you, but only for a while. I'm apprehensive about straying too far from my sister's domain; I must watch her closely at all times. I worry about what Yubaba may do if she realizes I'm gone. It may very well be that she has already heard word of my current situation from one of her guards, and has struck already. I have to return quickly, I feel that it is my duty."

            No-Face made several anxious noises, gesturing from Zeniba to Chihiro and Haku. The old woman nodded and smiled sadly at him. "Yes," she began again, " No-Face would like to accompany you all the way as well, but the poor thing hates to leave my side. We've grown quite fond of each other, he's a wonderful helper, and something of a son to me, I suppose. It's a difficult choice for him." 

            "Well, _I'm_ going," announced Lin loudly, staring at Haku and Chihiro imperiously with her hands placed firmly on her hips, as if daring them to deny her. "After all, someone has to keep you two in line. It's a wonder you survived as long as you did without us. Besides," she added, her voice suddenly tinged ever so slightly with a hint of sadness and longing, "I don't think I'd be welcome back at the bathhouse. When Yubaba figures out I've missed work, and to help her prisoners escape, no less…" she trailed off, turning to stare into the distance. Chihiro's heart went out to her. As much as Lin complained of her duties washing, scrubbing and completing whatever other chores needed to be done, the bathhouse was still her home. And now she couldn't go back. 

Chihiro's thoughts drifted to her own home once more, but she pushed them aside hurriedly, not wanting to confront the pang of homesickness that had been playing at her heart since she had made that phone call to her mother…

            She snapped out of it quickly. Haku was speaking. He suggested that they leave soon, so that they could cover a good deal of ground that day. The others nodded in agreement. Each lost in their own thoughts, the companions sat down silently to eat a hasty breakfast before setting off.

~~~

            "WHAT?!" Yubaba bellowed at the cowering guards that stood before her. "Paper birds?! You let a bunch of Zeniba's _paper birds_ chase you away?! You IDIOTS!" she finished, grabbing one of the guards by the neck, then just as quickly tossing him back to the ground, discarding him as she would have a piece of trash. One of the many sentinels standing before her meekly held out a scarred arm, the wounds still fresh and seeping blood from the attack, as if to show her the power of Zeniba's flock. She scoffed momentarily, but beyond that, showed no signs of even seeing him. 

            The old witch stood up slowly, and placed her hands down on her desk. Her head was bent forward so that not even her eyes were visible from where the guards were assembled. "_Out_," she commanded, her voice barely above a whisper, yet it escaped her lips with such a great intensity and force that it seemed she had shouted it with all her might. She raised her head to stare venomously at her underlings. Her face was lined with fury and her eyes flickered with the threat of punishment. Seeing her expression, the guards turned on heel and scrambled out of the room with such haste that many of them ended up face down on the floor at least once before escaping the office. The last guard turned and looked back at her fearfully, running headfirst into the door as he did so. Yubaba watched him with a grimace. Suddenly, a thought occurred to her. "Wait," she cried, holding up her bejeweled hand. The young man noticeably tensed at the command and turned slowly, his mouth open wide in a silent cry of terror. "Find Shen for me, and tell him I need to speak with him," Yubaba drawled.

            "I'm…I'm afraid Mistress, that, um, well, Shen isn't, that is to say, none of us have seen Shen in hours and we think he might have, you know, gone off after the, um, the river spirit and the girl," the guard sputtered, the words spilling from him so quickly that he was hardly coherent. He looked very near fainting.

            Yubaba's mouth turned up in a sinister smile. "Well, then I suggest someone find him quickly, before I _lose my composure_," she said with a feigned sweetness that made her seem all the more poisonous and deadly. She fixed a lethal stare on the solitary guard. He let out a strangled cry and ran from the room, not even daring to glance back this time.

            Yubaba returned to her seat and bent her head forward, supporting it between her hands. She looked up to the open door and with a flick of her wrist, cast a simple spell that caused it to immediately slam shut. Her mask of rage dissipated; now that she was alone, there was no longer any need for falsity. The mistress of the bathhouse let go of her restraint and gave into pure emotion. She began to cry.

~~~

            Haku traveled at the front of the group, several paces ahead of the others. His heart was heavy with worry and he found himself too distracted to think properly. In the back of his mind, he registered the voices of Chihiro and Lin as they chattered happily amongst themselves, while Zeniba and No-Face strolled along next to them. He sighed, wondering secretly whether or not their hearts were really in this mission. They had been traveling steadily for three days now, traversing the Spirit World, but none of his companions seemed to feel the same aching sense of urgency that was plaguing him, preventing him from sleeping at night and forever occupying his thoughts. It was difficult to explain, but something in him, a sixth sense, of sorts, was urging him onward, telling him that it was imperative that he return to the land of dreams as quickly as possible. 

Haku lengthened his stride, quickening his pace slightly in hopes that the others would increase their own speed to match his. Subconsciously, he had taken on the role of leader, though the responsibility of such a title weighed heavy on his heart. He thought perhaps the role would have been more befitting of Zeniba, whose powers far surpassed his.  

            The small band had gone a great distance, and Haku was sure they were nearing the boundaries of the Spirit World and would soon find themselves facing the challenges of new lands; ones none of them had ever seen before. The environment had begun to change, from the gentle, temperate climate of the Spirit World to a far harsher one. The heat was becoming more and more unbearable as they progressed, and the vegetation more sparse.

            "Yes, we're getting closer now," Zeniba mumbled to herself, though loud enough for everyone to hear. Haku paused and halted his stride, turning to face the witch, who was squinting into the distance and nodding her head slowly. "Can you feel it, Haku? Can you sense what we are approaching?" She gave him a wry glance. "I'm sure Yubaba told you of it during your time under her tutelage,"she prodded, with a significant look.

            Haku looked at her quizzically for a moment, then shifted his gaze to focus on the point that she had been staring fixedly at only moments before. It appeared that there was nothing ahead of them for miles, just more flat, barren expanses of land. And then it caught his eye, a glimmer of something, a flash, like pure gold being struck by the rays of the sun. It was far in the distance, and looked to be merely a stretch of desert at first glance, but he recognized it all the same. His eyes widened in surprise. "You don't mean to tell me…" he ended abruptly. Zeniba nodded, easily gauging what the young river spirit was about to say from the look on his face.

            "Yes. You managed to pass over it unaffected in your dragon form last time you made the journey, so you didn't even notice it. But now, I'm afraid, you're going to get a very good view of it indeed."

            "Excuse me, but what exactly are you _talking about_?!" Lin demanded. Her normally pretty face was contorted in frustration. Chihiro would have laughed at the young woman's expression, had she not been curious as to what Zeniba and Haku were discussing as well.

            "The Great Void, the Sphere of Chaos, the Realm of Madness, take your pick, for this land goes by many names," Haku replied. A gust of wind swept his hair to the side, shrouding his face from sight for a moment, and giving him a slightly ominous look. When the gust died down, he began speaking again, his eyes squinted in intense concentration. "But regardless of what one chooses to call it, the place is trouble. It is one of the many worlds that surround the land of spirits, and perhaps one of the most dangerous. Yubaba spoke of it to me in my early years as her apprentice. She told me stories of spirits who had journeyed there, attempting to discover its secrets. They died, or were lost, or more likely driven to insanity. It's a place of terrible power, far greater than any found in the Spirit World. I have no wish to risk traveling through it. We must go around," he turned and looked to Zeniba for guidance.

            She looked at him with a pitying expression. "It stretches for miles in all directions. Going around it would be a trying experience, and waste precious time. Besides, you may find that the lands that surround the Void are even less inviting. It's up to you."

            Haku stood before the companions, lost in thought. This was his journey, his mission, and as a result, the burden of choices such as these fell to him. He prayed that he was wise enough to make the decision. 

~~~

            Shen snarled, snapping his glistening fangs violently at the small rodent-like animal that he had designated his prey. He'd been chasing it for several moments now, and had finally managed to corner it. He lunged forward. His jaws clamped firmly shut, and he noted, with a macabre enthusiasm, the wonderful noise that resulted from the breaking of the creature's skull. He devoured his meal in several large mouthfuls as his menacing, icy blue eyes flickered contentedly. 

            He sat down, resting on his haunches and wagging his tail lazily from side to side. He admired himself briefly, his eyes sweeping across his powerful form. He decided, with more than a little pride, that he truly was a magnificent specimen. Even in the darkness, his thick coat shone beautifully, blacker even than the night sky. After a moment, he let out the equivalent of a canine sigh and clamped his piercing eyes shut. His mind drifted into unconsciousness temporarily, but his senses came hurtling back quickly as the pain rushed through his body, his transformation taking hold once more. 

            After several excruciating moments, Shen stood up slowly, adjusting once more to his human form. He held his hands out before him, groaning with disgust. He felt far weaker in this state, like he had lost some inexplicable, amazing thing, some treasure that was available to him only in his other state of being. He brushed it off, though, knowing that staying in his wolf form could be detrimental. 

Perhaps the only thing that didn't change between his two forms were his eyes. They were as sharp and cold in his current state as they had been only moments before. He scanned the horizon, spotting the river spirit and his band easily. It was near dusk, and the sky was streaked with the promise of impending darkness of night. It hardly mattered. He could see them just fine, for his eyesight was keen, and like fools, they traveled openly across the flat lands, making no attempts to hide themselves and easily distinguishable from their surroundings. He smirked.

"The demon-wolf pursues you even now, river spirit, how long do you think you will you survive?" he mused, speaking to himself, but staring into the distance after the companions. "I imagine your time is nearly up, for we shall meet again soon enough. I wonder if you look forward to our next encounter as much as I do." 

Shen laughed coldly. He reached an arm up, passing it over his mouth and wiping away the blood that had been smeared there from his hasty dinner. 

"Before my hunt is through, river spirit, your blood will spill readily from your veins and you will beg for mercy and my feet. But you will find no compassion here." 

~~~

            Yubaba peered out her window, her hands folded behind her back in a pose that would have made her look almost serene had it not been for the tortured look on her face. She took a long drag on her cigarette and exhaled heavily.

            Turning her back to the window, she walked towards her desk and opened one of its many drawers. This particular drawer was smaller than the rest, with a strange symbol engraved on its gently curved handle. Yubaba reached into it. She placed her hands cautiously on the solitary item residing in the compartment, and picked it up, holding it before her face. It was a small orb, just the right size to fit comfortably on her cupped palm. The orb shone with a subtle silver glow, casting sparkling waves of light amongst the shadows that danced against the walls. It was odd, seeing this thing of such great beauty next to her weathered, gnarled hand. 

            Yubaba brought it near her mouth, whispering an incantation under her breath. The globe rose leisurely from her palm, held suspended in the air. She stared at it for several long moments, watching in fascination as it spun slowly, as if revolving on an axis. She tapped it once with the tip of her long, painted nail. It shuddered in response, and began turning more rapidly.

            "Go, seek out the spirit of the Kohaku River, my former apprentice. Locate him for me, and bring me tidings of his journey," Yubaba mumbled, speaking quietly to the orb. It flashed brightly for a moment, in recognition. Yubaba reached out and tapped the surface of the sphere again. "However, that is not all I require of you. You must search for my current apprentice, the wind spirit, bound to me by contract under the name of Shen, as well. Find them both, and then return to me and reveal all you have learned."

            The orb flickered once more, than flew from Yubaba's office. 

~~~

            Haku paced uneasily around the campfire, taking care to avoid treading on the sleeping forms of his companions. He ran a hand through his hair nervously. The group had decided to rest for the night, and had opted to deal with the question of whether or not to venture into the Realm of Madness when they awoke the next morning. Haku, however, found that the gravity of the decision would not allow him the comfort of sleep. He struggled with himself, trying to best judge what to do. He found himself feeling torn and trapped and was beginning to think that neither option- going through the lands of chaos, or taking the long journey around them- would yield an especially positive result. 

            He kicked at a clod of dirt near his foot, frustrated with his indecisiveness, and angry with himself for not being strong enough or wise enough to find an answer. And then it hit him. He was surprised the idea hadn't occurred to him before. 

            Silently, he gathered the few belongings he had brought with him. He stood still for a moment, staring towards his destination, stony-eyed and expressionless. Now was not the time for weakness. He couldn't afford to falter, to doubt himself or his strength. He turned to look back at his companions. In the faint glimmer of the dying firelight, they looked safe, calm, and completely free of pain or fear. He would make sure they remained that way.

            His eyes fell on Chihiro lying curled up in a ball, her mouth open slightly as she took in deep breaths. He smiled. She was beautiful. He made his way over to her quietly, not even the leaves rustled under his feet. He bent down on one knee, inches from where she rested, and sighed. Long strands of hair fell across her face. He placed the tips of fingers against her forehead and swept them aside. After a moment's hesitation, he leaned forward and brushed his lips quickly against hers. At his touch, Chihiro stirred slightly and murmured something indistinct, but much to the young river spirit's relief, did not awaken. He stood up and blushed lightly with embarrassment for having stolen a kiss from her, though there was no one there to see it. 

            He took one final glance at the faces of the brave people who had journeyed this far with him, people who he admired and had come to care for deeply. He wondered how he ever could have doubted them. He gave one last fleeting smile. With that, he ran swiftly from the campsite, towards the border of the Spirit World and the entrance to the Great Void. He could not ask them to take this risk with him; it was a challenge he would face alone.

            Although he dreaded the obstacles that lay before him, his heart felt lighter. No matter what befell him, the others would survive. _She_ would survive.  

~~~

Author's notes: All right, so here's the deal. Tomorrow, I'm leaving for vacation, _again. _I'm going to Seattle to visit my aunt, because she just had surgery. However, while I'm there, I'm going to try my best to keep writing so that I can update as soon as I get back (on the 17th), but I make no guarantees. Anyway, just keep checking back around that time and hopefully I have something new for you! 

Thanks so much to everyone for continuing to read my story. I'm having a really great time writing it, and all of your great reviews make it that much more fun. Individual Thank-Yous:

Earth Borne: Don't worry, I have no intention of stopping writing any time soon. And you can be sure Shen and Haku will be battling it out sometime in the near future… 

Irksome One: A happy munchkin, eh? Heh. Thanks for the review, it made me laugh.

Violet Emeralds: Yay! I'm so happy you like my story. It makes me all fuzzy inside when people put me on their favorites lists, it totally makes my day, so thanks!

Lynnie: Your review made me laugh too, it cracked me up. Thanks for the support. And sorry to leave you hanging by not updating sooner. Bad Kalyana, bad.

Assassin23: Thanks again for reviewing my story. I really like getting feedback and ideas from you, and the other people who review. And Shen is definitely going to get what's coming to him (though maybe not in any way you expect), so don't worry.

Crystal sister: Thanks for the enthusiastic reviews, it's nice to know that you're really getting into the story.

JerseyGirl03, Nari Dragon-Girl, Amber-chan and Shrimpy Shorts: Thanks to al of you for the reviews. You guys are great!

And to anyone else who I may have overlooked (sorry, if I did!), I LOVE YOU! Thanks for the reviews, they're a huge inspiration.   


	11. Descent

Author's Note: Well, I'm back from vacation and ready with a new chapter for all of you. This chapter is going to be a little different than some of the previous ones; it's going to be shorter (sorry!) and also, I'm only going to be following one individual storyline/character, rather than writing scenes featuring everyone. So, without further ado, here's the all-Haku chapter, hope ya like it!

Disclaimer: I keep forgetting these things. Oops. Well, I don't own anything, so no suing, ok?

~~~

            Haku stood silent and still, squinting his eyes against the brilliant golden rays that emanated from the wall that served as a marker to divide the Sphere of Chaos and the Spirit World. In the dead of night, amidst the darkness of a moonless sky, the wall seemed to glow all the more brightly. There was something almost sinister about the way it engulfed Haku in light, making him feel as though he were in the middle of a warm summer's day, despite reality. The partition stretched for miles, seemingly endless in its size and span from the view where he stood. The wall rose nearly double Haku's height, and he was shocked to see that something that had appeared to be so small from a distance was actually quite massive.

            The golden barrier pulsated like some living creature, filling the area with a dull, throbbing white noise. Haku peered more closely at it, and was surprised to find that it was partially transparent, that he could just barely make out odd swirling and twisting shapes behind the veil of gold. The wall didn't appear to be solid- it looked as though he could walk straight through it if he wanted to- and suddenly, he realized why. The wall wasn't meant to serve as some sort of barricade, something to keep intruders out, its purpose was merely to act as a warning, to show travelers where the boundaries of the lands of chaos lay so that they may avoid it. He would not be granted the luxury of avoidance.

            The river spirit closed his eyes, temporarily blocking the wall from view, and attempted to drown out the buzzing noise that surrounded him. He prepared himself for what he had to do. He'd traveled for hours on end in the dark of night, putting distance between himself and his companions. He couldn't afford to lose time now. He couldn't bear to let them risk making this journey with him. He plunged through the wall, the gold mist clinging at his skin.  

He opened his eyes. He was through. He turned slowly, facing the wall again. Behind it, he could make out the distant shapes of the hills and forests of the Spirit World. With a grimace he became aware of the growing sensation that he may never see the land that had been his home for years again. He turned his back quickly to the wall. He wasn't sure he had the strength to risk the temptation of simply leaving the Sphere of Chaos at once, of bursting back through the wall again and running back to his companions, back to Chihiro. He took a step forward.  

The moment he did, a cold gale lashed against his skin. Without so much as a tree or boulder to shield against the unyielding wind, Haku felt himself being pummeled by gust after gust, each one impacting his lone form with shocking force. He grunted and tried to push forward, fighting against the wind that seemed intent on blowing him back and keeping him from proceeding further into the domain. 

Finally, after several laborious steps, he stopped, left completely breathless. As soon as he halted his strides, the wind seemed to die down, and nothing was left but a soft, whispering breeze. Puzzled, Haku rose to his feet again and with mild trepidation, ventured to take another step forward. No sooner had he lifted his foot from the ground than the wind picked up again, even stronger than it had been before. He stopped again, and once more, the wind relented, as calm as the eye of a storm. 

            Haku put his hands on his hips, examining the land before him carefully. The entire realm seemed to be filled with a strange, soft light. What appeared to be clouds churned several feet above his head, bending and contorting rapidly. Other than that, the terrain was completely flat and bare.

A low, hushed moaning echoed around him, punctured infrequently by soft hissing noises and pops. Haku glanced around distrustfully, disconcerted by the odd calmness of a land that was supposed to be filled with chaos and disorder. 

    He determined that it was best to keep moving forward, even if it meant he had to fight against the wind. He dug a toe shallowly into the ground and pushed off, deciding to take it at a run. The wind began lashing out at him once again, howling as though it were enraged by his refusal to be balked by its force. When Haku had successfully traveled several steps, the wind wailed and shifted direction, and now rather than hitting him head on, it was blowing behind him, pushing him forward. 

He spun around, disoriented by the change, and immediately the wind shifted again, now hitting him from all sides. He clenched his eyes shut against the stinging currents of air and gritted his teeth. He lost all sense of direction and stumbled blindly onwards. 

Finally, he was forced to his hands and knees by an especially brutal gust. He continued forward anyways, inching himself over the terrain. He reached a hand forward and gasped when he put it down. There was nothing there. He was falling. His eyes flew open in time for him to catch a glimpse of the ledge he had fallen from before he was cast into darkness. Above him, the wind continued to howl. Only this time, it did not seem to be howling with rage, but rather with a mocking laughter.

Haku reached his arms up, flailing them out and scrambling to find something to grab onto, a loose branch, a rock, anything. He continued his freefall into the darkness, crying out in rage and desperation. Finally, his hand made contact with something. He was surprised- in truth, he hadn't really been all that optimistic about his odds. He clenched his hand against it, bringing the other one up as well for support. When he felt that his grip was secure, he sighed in relief. He was dangling rather too precariously for his liking, but at least he wasn't plunging downwards, further from the surface. The sound of his forced, rasping breaths echoed off the walls of stone.

He blinked several times, willing his eyes to adjust to the inky chasm. There was no need, though, for moments later, small dots of light began bursting forth, like miniscule stars exploding into view. After only seconds, hundreds of them had appeared, filling their surroundings with an otherworldly light. They bobbed up and down in front of his face, letting out a faint jingling sound as they did so. They grew closer to Haku. He was utterly mesmerized by them. They consumed him, circling his body. As he watched the lights, he felt his mind growing weaker, his grip loosening on the rock that supported his weight, yet he did nothing. There wasn't a thing in the world he wanted more than to watch those lights at that moment. As their magic engulfed his senses, he glided into a drowsy state of delirium and happiness. His hands slipped, and once more, he began to fall.

~~~

            When Haku came to again, he found himself lying rigidly on a cold, stone floor. He had no idea where he was. His shirt was torn in several places and his pants were frayed at the bottom. His previously damaged ribs smarted, no doubt from the fall. He cursed himself for being lulled into submission by the magic of the Sphere of Chaos, and wondered vaguely what sort of creatures those spots of light had been. He grimaced at the memory, ashamed and alarmed.

He sat up, and looked around at the richly decorated hall where fate had found him. Stone-carved statues adorned the walls, and torches lit the entire passage. He leaned forward to examine one of the statues more closely, when it disappeared with a flicker, replaced suddenly by a living being. Haku took a step back, startled. The creature moved fluidly closer towards him, gliding across the floor. It had a nearly human appearance, but was far paler than anyone Haku had ever seen, with glazed over eyes that seemed to stare straight through him, rather than at him. It's face held no expression. 

Haku took a defensive stance, purely out of instinct, but within another moment, the creature disappeared, and in its place stood the statue once more. Haku knit his brow and shivered involuntarily. 

He started running, as illogical as he knew such a move was. He felt less vulnerable when he was moving. The hall was long and stretched far beyond his view in either direction. He wasn't sure he could find a way out; both ways looked exactly the same. With a sinking feeling, he decided on a direction and took it, following the hall as it continued seemingly endlessly into the distance. As he ran past, he had the unnerving feeling that the statues were following him with their stony gazes. Their mouths were turned into cruel, twisted smiles or grimaces, as disembodied voices bounced off the walls, whispering and sobbing. 

Time seemed to have no presence or power in this place. Haku ran onwards for an eternity, down the never-ending hall, his chest throbbing and lungs nearly bursting with pain. But he continued. What bothered him most was not that he couldn't seem to escape this place; it was that he couldn't account for his actions. He was being irrational, ruled by some unreasonable fear, yet he was unable to contain the overwhelming emotion.

Suddenly, he became aware of a change. The hall was silent now, save for the sound of his feet pounding the stone beneath him. He slowed down his pace until he was standing still. "Quiet," he remarked to himself, verbally observing the difference with curiosity.

His voice echoed down the hall. The moment it was beyond the range of his hearing, another voice met his ears.

"What do you seek?"

~~~

Author's Note: Well, originally this chapter was going to be a lot longer, but it just didn't work out that way. I think overall I've done a pretty good job of keeping my chapters decent in length, so hopefully you won't stone me to death for this slightly-shorter-than-usual one. 

 Also, sorry for not updating sooner. The site had been really glitchy lately and I haven't been able to access it at all for the past few days. Has anyone else been having issues getting the site to come up, or is that just me? It's been happening a lot recently. Blah. Well, I hope I'll be able to get this chapter up soon. 

Thanks to everyone for the great reviews, it's wonderful to hear from all of you! 


	12. Searching

Author's Note: Ok, please, no one kill me for not updating in so long. I know it's been quite a while, but believe me, I have been working on this. I had some _killer_ writer's block on this chapter (I knew exactly what I wanted to happen, I just had trouble getting it down on paper), but I think after this one, it should get easier for me to write again. I revised this chapter a lot while I was in the process of writing it, and I'm still not entirely content with it, but I decided I'd kept you guys waiting long enough. 

Thanks a ton to everyone reading, it means a lot to me. If it weren't for all your awesome reviews, I may not have even gotten this far in writing my story. You guys are great!

~~~

            Chihiro woke up to find Zeniba, No-Face and Lin talking earnestly amongst themselves in a tight circle, several paces away from where she lay. It was rather early and the lively colors of dawn still hung softly in the air, yet it appeared her friends had been up for quite some time. They were speaking in low, whispered tones- so as not to wake her, she supposed. She cleared her throat loudly to get their attention, feeling almost guilty about intruding. Immediately, their chatter ceased, and they turned to her with rather forced smiles on their faces. It automatically made her worried.

"Um, so…what's for breakfast?" Chihiro inquired haltingly after several uncomfortable moments of silence. She laughed awkwardly at her clumsy attempt at making conversation. Her companions didn't join her in laughing. Zeniba and Lin exchanged a brief, but substantial look and No-Face mumbled nervously to himself. They all shifted uncomfortably and Lin began prodding a clump of dirt with her toe, as though she were desperate to find any excuse to avoid making direct eye contact with Chihiro.

"Well, we haven't exactly gotten around to breakfast, Chihiro, we've been…preoccupied," Zeniba replied, apparently choosing her words carefully. "But don't worry, we'll have something ready soon enough, no need for concern," she added hastily, her contrived smile growing increasingly anxious and strained.

Chihiro ignored the comment about breakfast, brushing it aside in favor of the more serious issue. "Preoccupied with what?" she asked, taking care to look all three of them in the eye in turn. She had the sinking feeling that they were hiding something from her. "Wait," she said slowly, realization dawning on her, "where's Haku?" She stood up quickly and looked about for some sign of him, pacing around the campsite quickly with an anxious expression.

"That's exactly what we've been preoccupied with," Lin said somberly. She moved closer to Chihiro and took her hand gently, looking her in the eyes with a serious expression. "Chihiro, we can't find him, we've looked for nearly an hour now, and haven't found so much as a footprint. We think, well, it's probable, highly likely even, that the stupid kid," she choked back the threat of a sob, despite her harsh words, "went off on his own. He's gone."

Chihiro's eyes opened wide as she realized the incredible weight these words held. It hit her like a tidal wave, in one tremendous, sweeping moment of acute pain, anger and fear. He'd left them, gone off to face the lands of chaos on his own. "What?! No!" she cried out. The next moment she was on her knees, sobbing uncontrollably.

~~~

            "What do you seek?" the question from an unknown source rang off the walls, repeating over and over again, refusing to fade away. "What do you seek?" it insisted once more. The voice was indistinct, neither masculine nor feminine, neither young nor old in its pitch or tone.

            Haku cleared his throat, feeling compelled to answer and thankful to hear the voice of another being, even if that person's identity and motive were unknown to him. He raised his chin in the air and spoke facing the direction the voice originated from. He took care to articulate every word. "I seek nothing more than safe passage through this realm, I want only to be free of it," he answered loudly and clearly, feeling a renewed sense of confidence stirring inside him. He waited several moments until finally, he received a response.

            "If you do not wish to be here, then why have you come?" the voice inquired. A perfectly sensible question, Haku decided. An ironic smile tugged at the corner of lips. He thought for a moment, deciding how best to explain his situation in a manner that might arouse some sense of pity, or perhaps even a desire to help him, in this anonymous being. 

            "I'm on a journey, one that I must complete with haste. Time is no friend of mine," he laughed ruefully, "I am traveling to the Dream World, and I must arrive there as quickly as possible. However, the lands of chaos stretch far and wide and are difficult to avoid. This realm lies between my home and the place I seek; my only option was to brave this world, so that I may arrive at my destination." 

            "You are a slave to time only if you make yourself so. But come, tell me more of your journey," the voice responded evenly.

            Haku made to speak again, to reply, but was rendered speechless when the world twisted and changed around him, and he suddenly found himself somewhere entirely new. 

            He was in a chamber, it seemed, though it was one larger than he had ever seen and he could not tell where its walls lay. It was filled with a foggy, burning white light, and he found it nearly impossible to keep his eyes open for any extended period of time without them watering up to the point of overflowing. As a result, he was forced either to keep his eyes clamped shut, and thus cast himself into darkness, or to open them and see the world through a hazy layer of tears. Neither option was particularly attractive, but he found he favored the latter, and a few painful seconds later, his eyes adjusted to the agonizingly intense light and his vision became steadily clearer. He blinked frequently. 

            The first thing he noticed was that the entire room was covered in a layer of shallow water that reached no further up than the strong arch of his ankle. It was cool and pleasant, and he enjoyed the feel of it against his tired, worn soles. He peered down into the pool and saw his reflection staring back up. His face was covered in a light layer of dirt and his complexion had taken on a dull tone. However, what shocked him most was looking into the likeness of his green eyes that seemed somehow…faded, less full of life and passion than usual. His wiggled his toes and the image of his features distorted amongst the small ripples. He was pleased with the effect. It distracted him from the nagging feeling that somehow, something inside of him had been lost or forgotten. It was the same feeling he'd had that day she'd left the Spirit World…Chihiro. It was how he felt when she wasn't there. Empty. He shook his head, willing himself to push her out of his thoughts. It was too hard to think about her right now, about how he'd left her, abandoned her again. He regretted it, though he knew it was the only way. 

            He sighed and gazed down into the perfect, blue pool once more. The water was the clearest he had ever seen, entirely pure, and it looked as though it had never been touched or tainted. He was temporarily reminded of his own river, though it seemed so long ago that he had been there. A pang of nostalgia struck his heart at the memory. _That's where I first saw Chihiro…_he thought to himself, remembering the incident with her lost shoe very clearly. With a sigh, Haku stared down at his feet again, and was suddenly horrified with himself for desecrating this magnificent pool with his presence (and his dirty toes). 

            He splashed forward, feeling guilty for every step he took in the pristine shallow waters. He looked ahead, and squinted in concentration when something unusual caught his eye. He could just barely make out the shape of a figure sitting atop a throne of some kind on the opposite end of the chamber from where he stood. He gasped. Haku hurried forward with increased vitality, anxious to meet the owner of the voice that had brought him here.

~~~

            Shen shouted in frustration, a noise accompanied by the nauseating sound of snapping bones as he hit his fists against a nearby boulder. His screams, more like the howling of a deranged wolf than the cry of a man, carried through the barren valley like an incensed gust of wind. He paced back and forth, kicking up small swirls of dust that trailed after his heels. With each step, his blood boiled hotter. Finally, exhausted, he fell to the ground, clutching his head between his hands and ripping at his hair.

            He'd lost him; Haku was gone, nowhere in sight. 

            Somehow, the river spirit had managed to disappear from Shen's sight, though how he had happened to do so eluded the wind spirit. Haku's other companions were still there, exactly where they had been the previous night; the human girl, the witch, all of them. All save Haku.

            "Bastard," Shen spat out, rubbing the back of his rough, coarse hand over his burning forehead. "He's left them, gone off on his own. He'll be hours ahead of me now, there's no catching up." He screamed again. He balled his hands into fists so tight that his fingernails cut into the tender flesh of his palms and trickles of blood began dripping down the sides. A drop of the red liquid fell to the ground, leaving a spatter of crimson against the dusty yellow of the terrain. The pain didn't bother him. He was used to the pain, but he wasn't used to humiliation, to defeat.  

            Shen turned to look towards the circle of companions about a mile from where he stood. He spat, watching them contemptuously as they sat in a circle together. He squinted and turned his attention to the figure furthest on the left. His keen eyes could just barely make out the figure's slender build, the long brown hair falling across her shoulders and down her back. "The human girl," he murmured to himself, "Chihiro." A smirk crossed his handsome, dirt-smeared face, revealing a pair of unusually pronounced canine teeth. "All right, river-spirit, if that's the way you want to do things…" He narrowed his eyes and opened his mouth thoughtfully, his lips parting into a small, malevolent smile. "You've robbed me of my pride and denied me my vengeance. Now, I'm going to take something from you." 

He closed his eyes and breathed in deeply, preparing to transform into a wolf once more. He gritted his teeth in anticipation. Then suddenly, he stopped. His eyes flew open again, and he ended the transformation before it had even begun. He looked down at his hands, now stained with his dried blood. "No," he said to himself, licking his chapped lips, "no, there's no need to transform, not for this job. This form will suffice. After all, I do want dear little Chihiro to recognize me." 

Shen crouched low to the ground, and sped off quietly, quickly closing the gap between himself and Chihiro.

~~~

            He stopped. The sound of splashing water died down as his feet came shuffling to a halt and he stood still, staring in awe at what lay before him.

            Haku's breath caught in his throat as he arrived at the base of a tall throne on which sat a being more striking than any he had ever seen. The owner of the voice that had called to him earlier; it could be no other. This entity's face was soft and pale, with features that shone with wisdom and beauty. Of the being's age or gender, Haku could not be certain; this incredible creature seemed beyond these things, above them somehow. Like the waters that spread across the floor of the chamber, this otherworldly individual was entirely pure, unaffected and untouched by the rest of the world. A robe of silver hung from the being's shoulders, spilling to the ground like a waterfall, complimenting the figure's appearance in every way. The young river spirit stood transfixed, watching the figure on the throne as though somehow the secrets of life, the universe, were all written on that angelic face.

The throne itself was colossal and was composed of a substance that glistened like pure crystal. It shimmered with light and a prism of colors reflected off its smooth, cool surface as it caught the white glow that lit the room at varying angles. The throne sat on a circular platform, and was raised several inches above the serene waters that covered the floor of the chamber. 

To the left of the platform was a small sapling. Other than Haku and the mysterious owner of the voice, it appeared to be the only sign of life in the room. _Odd_, Haku thought. The tiny tree was young and fragile, like a child in many ways, and its tallest branch rose only as high as the middle of Haku's waist. No leaves adorned its thin branches; it was too young for that, Haku assumed. It was entirely unremarkable in every way, save that it shone with a faint, airy light. He felt compelled to reach out and touch it, but resisted the urge.

To the right of the throne sat another object that Haku observed with curiosity, and found very out of place in this otherwise barren chamber. A mirror. Full-length, and utterly breathtaking in its craftsmanship. The glass was flawless, and was framed by intricately carved panels of wood. Next to this remarkable piece, the young sapling appeared all the more unimpressive. 

Haku returned his glance to the face of the person sitting before him, and had to restrain himself from turning away. Seeing such an intense beauty was almost more than he could bear. Finally, the being spoke, the same familiar omnipresent, melodic voice ringing in Haku's ears once more.

"A river spirit," the enthroned figure remarked, gazing unwaveringly at Haku. Normally, such a stare would have unnerved him, but somehow he felt calmed by it, entirely contented and at he peace. He smiled, and his current companion continued speaking. "You have journeyed far. Tell me in full your story, tell me what business a river spirit would have that would bring him to my realm." It was neither a command, nor a request. 

Though he felt weak in the knees and was slowly being overtaken by degrees of drowsiness, Haku found the strength to answer. "It's a rather long story," he began, before launching into the tale of how he had first met Chihiro, and then how he'd later traveled to the Dream World to be with her once she'd gone, and the other seemingly countless events that had led up to his arrival in the Sphere of Chaos. The words spilled from his lips freely, and he exercised no discretion in sharing his story, leaving no detail out. Something inside him, a sixth sense, told him he could trust this person, and in truth, he was glad to finally have someone to recount his actions to. He rarely shared anything about himself, but in his exhaustion, his desperation, and his mild confusion, he forgot his usual, introspective, private habits and simply spoke. He talked until he was out of breath, until his mouth was dry and parched from overuse. 

The figure remained emotionless, regarding Haku evenly during his entire speech, no change in emotion evident on its face. Several moments passed in which neither of them spoke. Finally, Haku managed to gasp out a question. "Just who are you?" he asked, tilting his head slightly to the side.

"I am the master of these lands, I am the one who finds the order within the chaos," the being replied simply.

"Order within chaos? But that doesn't make sense. Chaos is the absence of order, they're complete opposite ends of the spectrum!" Haku responded, skepticism plainly evident in his voice.

Still, the being's expression did not change. It remained entirely neutral, entirely controlled. "There is order in everything, just as there is chaos in everything. They coexist, together. I possess the ability to see both, I know things that you will never know. My understanding of the universe far exceeds yours." Haku felt slightly abashed, knowing that the being spoke the truth. He demurred, and offered no response, waiting for the being to continue. The monarch observed Haku closely. "You are a powerful spirit, a god, why did you not simply bypass my realm, you have the ability, I see it clearly."

            Once again, Haku was slightly flustered, unsure of how to respond. "Well, you see…I've…I've lost my abilities, I've lost my magic. I can't do anything anymore, I can't even transform…" 

            "Lost? No, not lost," the figure replied, cutting him off. "Your abilities are still there, locked away inside you. I will retrieve them for you." The figure raised a hand in the air.

            "Wait!" Haku shouted suddenly. The being stopped, dropping the delicate hand back down. "Why…why are trying to help me? I don't understand. I've heard many stories about this realm, about how everyone who has come here has died, or gone mad, or other terrible things like that. So why, if you let those things happen to all of them, why are you helping me?" 

            "You are different. As you said, you want only safe passage through my kingdom, and now that I've met you, I know that to be the truth. You haven't come here for selfish purposes like so many others that have journeyed into my home. Your intentions are pure. And so, I will assist you in traveling through my realm, and in arriving at your destination. Now, come closer."

            Haku's mouth opened, his lips parting into a small "o" and he took several slow steps forward. He was on the platform now, only inches from the throne and the ruler of the lands of chaos. He breathed in deeply, and took in the gentle scent of the creature before him. Rain. It smelled like sky before a storm, full of the promise of the oncoming shower. One of his favorite smells. In his dazed state, Haku barely noticed the being raising a hand in the air once more and touching him gently on the forehead. He closed his eyes. 

~~~

            Sobs racked Chihiro's body, her shoulders heaving with every breath. Tiny daggers of ice stabbed at her lungs and her face burned with the salt of her tears. She hugged her arms tightly across her chest, vainly trying to fight off the cold sensation that was seizing her body.       Her head swam with a strange mixture of fear, anger, grief, and above all, the awful feeling of helplessness. It was like a storm raging inside her mind, blotting out all else, obscuring everything with its power and its suffocating darkness. Haku was gone; he'd left her.

            Through her tears, she could make out the blurry forms of her three friends moving closer towards her, trying to comfort her. Lin reached her first. "Chihiro, I'm so sorry," she said, placing a consoling hand on Chihiro's shoulder.

            "No!" Chihiro screamed, thrusting one arm out and pushing her away. "No, no, no, just leave, leave me alone," she spat out, her voice falling to a low, angry whisper. She knew she was being irrational, misdirecting her anger and hurt and thrusting it on people who loved her and wanted to help her, but she couldn't help it. It was too powerful for her. It was consuming her, eating away at everything she was. She buried her head in her hands and closed her eyes, trying to block out the outside world.

            Zeniba sighed and gazed at the young girl compassionately. She'd been through so much. The old woman turned her attentions to a startled Lin, who was still standing near Chihiro, her hand outstretched. "Come, let's leave her alone, dear," Zeniba said, reaching her own hand out to Lin and gently guiding her away.

            "But, but she needs us!" Lin protested, turning to face Zeniba with a hurt expression on her pretty face. "We should-"

            "Let her sort through her feelings in peace," Zeniba finished for her. "We should do as she asks, leave her alone for the time being, give her some space." Lin glanced over her shoulder back at the bent form of Chihiro and bit her lip to keep herself from whimpering. Finally, she yielded and nodded her head slowly, realizing that Zeniba was right. 

            "Chihiro," Zeniba called softly, "Lin, No-Face and I are going for a walk, we'll be back soon." With a final backward glance, Lin followed the witch as she walked away from the campsite. No-Face moaned sadly and made to move back towards to Chihiro, but ultimately, with an almost wistful sigh, joined the other two. 

            Chihiro could hear the gentle swishing and rustling of underbrush as her companions strode away from her. She was grateful to them. She was grateful that now she was alone. She hated to cry in front of them, to always appear so weak when really she wanted nothing more than to be as strong as all of them, as strong as Haku. She'd grown up a lot since her days as a young girl, she wasn't the whining, sniveling little brat she'd been back at the age of ten. She was older now, more mature, and she wanted to show them that side, but somehow…she was finding it difficult. 

            Under these conditions, under such heavy emotional strain, it was nearly impossible for her to be the person she wanted to be. "I can't take this anymore, I can't," she whispered to herself. A fresh wave of tears overtook her. She shook her head to fight them off, but still they rolled down her cheeks, unrelenting despite her wishes.

            _Haku, how could you,_ she thought sadly, _how could you when you know how much I wanted to stay with you, to be with you. No matter what else has happened to us, that's all I really wanted. I would have faced anything. Just to be with you._

Her mood shifted as her thoughts lingered on him, and for the moment she forgot her sadness and let her hurt take possession of her. "I gave up everything for you, _everything_!" she cried angrily and passionately after a moment of quiet introspection. "I gave up six years of my life, wasted them, just thinking of you, waiting to see you each night in my dreams. Like a shadow. I was a shadow in my own world, barely even there because I was always wishing I was with you instead. I was only _really _alive, really myself, when we were together. And now…now I left my family, my friends, everything behind. Everything." She curled her knees up to her chest and placed her hands on top of them. She laid her head down gently against the backside of her hands and rested it there, feeling too weak to support her own weight. She was exhausted, exhausted from everything. "I miss them so much," she sputtered after a moment, the tears now making steady trails down her cheeks, onto her hands, and then falling to the dusty ground in a steady shower. She watched them hit the earth with a detached interest. She noted the way they caught the sun, shining brightly for an instant while suspended in air, only to fall to the dirt and subsequently fade away. "I gave them up just to see you again, Haku. Because I love you. And now…now you're gone again and I'm alone. Alone." She echoed the word several times, hating it more and more each time it left her lips. It terrified her, the thought of being alone. More than anything in the world. She felt the void inside herself grow larger, that empty space that was usually reserved for him. No one but him.

And now she was alone, stranded in a land that she didn't belong to, a place she was never meant to even _see_. Far from her family, from the comforts of her everyday life. And now, far from Haku. Far from the one reason she'd even returned to the Spirit World. And it was because he'd chosen to leave her behind. Perhaps that was what hurt most of all. He'd _chosen _to leave her. And now she didn't know if she would ever see him again, if he was still even alive. 

She knew without a doubt that Zeniba, No-Face and Lin would stand by her, be with her at every turn, but knowing that offered her no comfort. She didn't want to be pitied. And she was sure they would pity her, and why not, after all she'd been through? She would be isolated from them now, separated by the fact that she was wounded more deeply than any of them could hope to cure. 

"I just don't want to feel alone," she cried again. Her breathing grew laborious and she shuddered with each gulp of air. She was lost to her emotions. Lost completely and thrust into the darkness, the loneliness of her thoughts. Not even in her mind could she find refuge from her pain, there was no safe haven left for her. Everything she'd kept repressed, locked away, all of it came bursting forth from her, engulfing her. All the longing she'd felt for him those years when they'd met in her dreams, all her fear at entering the Spirit World once more, her pain at leaving her family behind, and now, feeling forgotten by him, left behind. 

            Her pulse was quickening. She could hear it beating inside her, pounding as though it would escape her chest at any moment. She was losing consciousness, slipping away…

            And then a voice called to her. For a split second, in her delirium, she thought it was Haku. But the cold, familiar shiver that ran up her spine quickly told her differently, and her hopes were shattered.

            "Chihiro," the silky, dangerous voice called out once more, "what's wrong? At the moment you seem a little…fragile. Weak. You're obviously very upset. And what's more, you're all alone! Where have your little friends run off to? Where's the river-spirit? Why, they haven't all left you, have they?" the voice inquired mockingly with an insincere gasp. He began laughing. "Well, all the better for us. Now we can have a little…alone time."

            Chihiro gasped for breath, scrambling to push herself away from him. "Shen," she breathed, her eyes widening, and her tears forgotten in her panic and her dread.

~~~

Author's Note: Ok, there, I'm finally done with this chapter. Geez, this was a tough one to write, and I'm not even sure why. Oh well. 

All right, so here's the deal. I go back to school (ugh) on the 20th, so I'm going to try to get another chapter out sometime around then, before my workload for classes gets too big. As always, I make no promises about when the next chapter will come out, though, because, as this chapter proves, sometimes I have trouble meeting my own deadlines. However, I _can_ guarantee that I will be working very hard on the next chapter.

I'm actually really looking forward to the next chapter, since I think it will probably be the most exciting one yet…at least I hope so, based on what I have planned for it. So keep reading! Thanks again to all my wonderful, amazing, beautiful reviewers! You guys rock!    


	13. Desperation

Author's Note: So once again, I've kept you all waiting _much_ longer than I intended to, for which I apologize. Busy. So busy. That's all I'll say for now. Anyway, I don't want to bore you any longer, so here's the chapter…

~~~

Haku closed his eyes as the being raised a gentle hand and pressed it softly against his forehead. 

The feeling that washed over him was unlike anything he'd ever experienced before. It flowed through him into the deepest parts of his very being, melting into his soul, making him feel more alive than he'd ever been before. It was like tiny pulses of electricity were being conducted through his veins. He felt every inch of his body, every fiber, with an intense clarity, and became acutely aware of even the smallest details that made him who he was. It was euphoric, impossibly liberating, impossibly _real_.

It remained that wait for several suspended seconds, frozen in time. And then the pain hit. His fall from ecstasy was made all the more gruesome by its juxtaposition to the joy he'd felt only moments before. A searing pain tugged at his heart, like a hand cruelly gripping his very core, searching, prodding, tearing him apart. He'd never felt so vulnerable, or so exposed. He made to struggle against it, to cry out and scream, but was subdued an instant later. The pain ended as abruptly as it had manifested. An unnatural calm fell over his body, a body that had just experienced the extremes of both elation and torture. It was strange, the numb, muted feeling. He felt hollow. And then something inside him stirred, softly at first, but steadily gaining strength as its presence slowly formed inside him. Finally, realization hit him. He'd found it; that one thing that had been hidden inside him for so long. It had been uncovered, brought to the surface and he was made whole again.

            An inaudible gasp burst from his lungs. His head reeled, and he staggered for several moments, trying to control himself in the face of this incredible discovery. His entire body grew limp and he fell to the ground, face first into the shallow waters of the chamber. He lay that way for some time, until he finally found the strength to arch his neck backwards, lifting his face from the pool. Tiny beads of water slipped off his forehead, falling gracefully back into the pool from whence they had come, returning to their rightful place with miniscule splashes. And with them went Haku's anxiety, his weakness, his pain. He was washed clean, renewed.

            Breathing heavily, he pushed himself back up to his feet, standing before the enigma that was the ruler of the lands of chaos once more. He bowed his head deeply, unsure of what to say, or of how to thank the monarch for the unbelievable gift he'd been given. 

            The being spoke, "Your strength has been restored, your powers returned. You have all you need to end your journey now."

            Haku raised his vibrant green eyes to those of the being and they exchanged a brief look. He glanced to the left of the throne, where the sapling had been only seconds ago, before his powers had been restored. In its place stood a much larger tree. It shone with the same airy light as before, but was stronger, larger now, with iridescent leaves sprouting from every one of its numerous sturdy branches. It was beautiful. He realized now that his first impression had been wrong, that the sapling hadn't been ordinary or dull; it had been just as magnificent as the full-grown tree that it had become, he just hadn't seen its potential. He smiled minutely.

            To the right was the mirror, though unlike the tree, it was exactly the same as it had been before in appearance. He took several slow steps to the side, until finally he was standing directly in front of it, his reflection staring back. The reflection of himself in his _true _form, in that of a dragon, a water spirit. He inhaled sharply in shock, and reached a tentative hand forward, pressing it against the cool glass. With a disbelieving smile on his face, he turned back to the enthroned being.

            "Thank you," he said simply and quietly, nearly out of breath, "thank you. You don't realize what a great service you have done for me."

            "I gave you back what was yours to begin with. Nothing more," the creature replied, the same neutral, emotionless expression still in place.

            "Still, I thank you," he bent down to one knee and bowed his head again. "And now, I shall leave your world in peace, hopefully that I may return to you the goodwill you have bestowed upon me. I swear that my journey to leave your realm will be swift, and I will make full use of the abilities you have restored to me." 

            "That is well. But a final word before you leave, water spirit. The one you love is in danger. She has precious little time left." And with that, the being waved a hand in the air, and the world around Haku began to fade away once more. "Good-bye, I doubt we will ever meet again."

            "Wait! Wait! Help, what do you mean?" Haku cried, but it was too late, the room, the mirror, the tree, and the ruler of the lands of chaos had all vanished, and Haku found himself standing at the edge of the realm, staring into the golden wall once more. He didn't question how the being had known about Chihiro nor did he question the validity of the statement; there wasn't time for that.

            For the first time in years, he transformed. The dragon inside him awakened once more. 

~~~

            "Shen," Chihiro breathed, scrambling backwards in her panic and surprise. She stumbled over a branch and fell roughly to the ground, scratching her legs and drawing blood in the process. She turned an alarmed face towards the intruder. "Go away," she whimpered, her voice leaving her lips in a frightened whimper, not at all in the authoritative and commanding way she'd meant it to come out.

            The young man standing over her laughed callously. "But I've only just arrived, love. And I've missed you so," he said dramatically, with feigned innocence. His mouth formed into a mock pout, and he dropped to one knee, crouching down next to her. His arrogant smile quickly vanished, and he stared hard at her for several long moments. Neither of them spoke, Chihiro barely even dared to breath. Shen held her gaze with his icy eyes, peering at her with such powerful intensity that she found it impossible to break the connection, to turn away. It terrified her. Finally, he spoke again, far more seriously this time, his voice entirely devoid of the usual traces of cynicism and sarcasm. There was an almost…softness and vulnerability to it.  "Come with me, Chihiro. Come with me. Your friends, the river spirit, all of them have gone. But I'm still here. Come with me, away from this," he spoke gently in what was really a very soothing timbre. But she could sense something else, subtle though it was, lacing his tone as well. Desperation. A panicked light flickered in his eyes, a fear, a hopelessness that she'd never seen there before. He reached a hand out and placed it against the side of her face, touching her cheek with the tips of his fingers, in much the same way Haku had done in the past. Her eyes widened in surprise at the gesture, and she sputtered in surprise.

            "You're crazy," she finally managed to spit out, shaking her head slowly and regarding him with fear. She hated the way his skin felt against hers, the coarse texture to it, the entirely wrong feeling of it. But she was frozen, she couldn't move, couldn't push him away. "Stop. Why, why do you keep following me? Just leave me alone," she pleaded through laborious swallows of air.

            "Don't you understand?" Shen asked, hints of madness growing increasingly obvious in his manner. He was speaking rapidly, fervently, like a man driven beyond his limits. "It's perfect. You, the human girl, brought here by fate, brought here to the Spirit World. And I, the banished wind spirit, wronged by the gods, sentenced to eternity in this _miserable_ place, exiled from my home, my rightful place, back in the Human World. _Your_ world. You're a gift, a gift for me. A delicate little parcel from the realm of the humans, the last remaining piece of that world left available to me. A reminder, a keepsake, of sorts. See? You see now, don't you? It's only fair; it's only fair that you stay with me! The gods had no right to take me away from the Human World, but now, now I have you! I've beaten them, I've won! Even the most powerful of the gods couldn't keep me from what is rightfully mine!" he cried triumphantly.

            He placed his free hand on Chihiro's arm and grabbed it firmly, at the same time adjusting the hand on her face so that now he was gripping her roughly under the chin as well. She squirmed and shouted in protest, kicking at him, the harshness of his actions snapped her back to reality, freeing her from her frozen state.  She succeeded in throwing him off of her and retreated several steps, but he just as quickly caught her again, restraining her with his powerful arms. They were both standing now, Shen with his arms wrapped tightly around her waist in a secure hold, so that when he spoke, he needed only to whisper due to the closeness of their positions.

            "I won't let anyone take you away. Not the gods, and certainly not that river spirit. You're my prize to be won, and I will have you," he murmured.

            "Haku will kill you," Chihiro replied vehemently in a voice no louder than the one Shen had used, yet brimming with conviction and hatred.

            "He's not coming back, he's left you," Shen said slowly, letting each word fully impact the girl. And it worked. Those few short phrases ripped at her like daggers, tearing away slowly, painfully. Her feelings began rushing back, all the pain she'd experienced when she'd found out that he'd gone…

            "You're wrong," she responded, though her demeanor lacked the certainty that had been there before and her voice wavered with the promise of a fresh wave of tears. 

            "Am I? No matter, even if by some chance he does return for you, he won't get you back. I won't let him have you."

            "You won't be able to defeat Haku and you know it. Even when he was wounded, he still bested you in battle. You don't have the strength to kill him."

            "Perhaps you're right…well then, I guess I'll just have to kill you instead, should it come to that. After all, I can't let the little river god steal you away from me, now can I? No, he won't beat me this time. Either way, he's already lost."

~~~

Lin was still wearing a look of concern and apprehension. "I think…maybe we should go back. I mean, I know she's upset and wants to be alone, but still, she needs us, she needs to know that we're there for her and that we'll stand by her." The girl threw one of the many tiny pebbles she'd picked up along their trail earlier, carelessly casting it off to the side.

            "I know you're worried, Lin, but we just need to give the dear girl her space. You remember the way she exploded when you tried to comfort her. She doesn't want us there right now," Zeniba answered calmly, though a part of her agreed with Lin.

            "I know you're right, but…oh, I don't know what to think anymore. Fine, we'll give her a while longer, just not _too _much longer."

~~~

            The slender, glistening form of the dragon burst through the golden barrier that separated the Spirit World from the lands of chaos. Shimmering wisps of the misty material trailed after him, clinging to his tail before finally dissipating as he made his departure from the Sphere of Chaos. Haku let out the dragon equivalent to a sigh, thankful to be back in his own world, and back in the body he had missed so dearly. He executed a graceful turn in the air, craning his neck to get one final glance of the lands of chaos. _Thank you_ he thought to himself once more, hoping that somehow the mystifying being he'd met there could hear his heart's words.

            With that, he let out a tremendous roar of joy, closing his jade eyes. It felt so _right_ to be in dragon form again. He could feel his power, his speed, all of his body's potential. Although it had been many years since he'd used this form, it all immediately came back to him, as if it had just been yesterday that he'd transformed. 

He sped off, shooting up into the clouds, erupting through the first hazy layer of white with a sense of rapture. He took a moment to observe his surroundings. A sea of puffy white clouds lay below him, and countless more filled the sky over his head. He loved areas like this, places of pure blue, calm sky nestled gently between patches of mist. He always felt safe there. He resisted the urge to stay that way, soaring happily across the sky, dancing and weaving amongst the clouds. There would be time for that later. Now, he needed to find Chihiro.

~~~ 

Author's Note: Okay, so I'm not really happy about having to end this chapter so early, but I think that even though this chapter is short, it's pretty important. Haku has his powers back, and Shen's attraction to Chihiro is explained more clearly here. Those things will both be really important in the next chapter or two, so…yeah. And while I don't know when I'll have time to get the next chapter out (it could be a while…) the next chapter will definitely be a looonnnnggg one, and lots of loose ends should be tied up in it. That's my hope, at least. Well, stay tuned, and thanks so much to all of you for your patience and support!


	14. The Storm

Author's Note: Ok, so here it is (finally) the next chapter. I know it's been forever since I updated (since the end of summer, I believe), but between school, friends, and college applications (I'm a senior in high school, so this is a big part of my life right now) I haven't had much time to write. It took a lot of effort to crank this chapter out, so I hope it's worth it. Lots of stuff happens here, though, so I would dub this a pretty important chapter. Thanks again for your patience from any return-readers, I really do appreciate it. With that said, on to the chapter that took me months to get done!

~~~

            __

            Yubaba watched the images flashing before her gravely. Her mouth had become almost unbearably dry and she could feel the circles beneath her eyes growing heavier and darker, their weight almost intolerable. A small cup of tea steamed soothingly as it lay only inches from her hand, but she was too distracted to even notice it. Instead she sat stolidly, watching the events unfolding before her.

 The small silver orb she had sent to find Shen and Haku had been successful in locating them, and had since then returned to her. Now, it spun quickly as it floated before her, projected airy images of the two young men into the air for her to see. It was like watching the ghosts of her former apprentices, transparent specters dancing across her lavish office, haunting her. Only Yubaba's eyes moved as they darted across the images, desperately trying to take in each potentially significant detail. What she saw offered her no comfort.

The powerful wolf form of Shen, splattered with the blood of his most recent kill, running through a barren wasteland after some unseen prey…Flash…Haku sitting awake, alone, as his companions slept, his face contorted in a mixture of guilt and fear…Flash…Shen completing the painful transformation back into his human form…Flash…Haku, running, running, running… 

            The last images of Haku that the orb offered to Yubaba were of him disappearing behind a shimmering wall of gold. She recognized it instantly as the border to the Sphere of Chaos. The little image of Haku closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, finally plunging through the barrier and out of sight. The orb flickered.  

            The image quickly flashed to one of Shen, crying out to himself in anguish and hatred. He paced menacingly, like an animal caged. He grabbed his head in his hands and fell to his knees with a primal scream that tore through the air. Yubaba averted her eyes, unable to watch any longer.

            "Enough. Stop," the old woman commanded with a quiet, subdued authority. The pictures emanating from the orb quickly disappeared and the little sphere hung motionlessly in the space before her. Yubaba reached a hand out and plucked it from the air. She turned it over in her hand again and again, searching for…something, though even she did not know what.

~~~

            Chihiro and Shen sat in silence. She, because she was too alarmed and too tired to muster any more words, and he because he was silently savoring the moment, content knowing that he'd won. He had the one thing that Haku cherished most; he had Chihiro. It was obvious that he'd struck a nerve with her, too. His prior comment about Haku abandoning her had immediately caused a shift in her attitude, and she seemed to have lost her will to resist or fight.

His grasp on her was still firm, but he'd slackened his hold slightly from earlier, not wanting to damage the girl. He examined her face slowly and keenly, like a wolf appraising his prey. Her face was a sickly pale where it wasn't streaked with red from tears long since fallen. Dark, ashen circles had formed under her eyes and little lines of worry creased her brow. Her hair still hung loosely around her shoulders, draping over her face like a veil. But it was limp now, the color had dulled, and it had lost its usual deep, rich brown sheen. She looked like a young woman who had been broken. Shen took a sick pleasure in knowing he'd been the one to do it. She looked delicate and scared now, her face no longer glowing with its usual defiance and strength.

Only the girl's eyes still held a flicker of light, a hope for life. She blinked several times in quiet contemplation. Slowly, she raised her eyes to meet Shen's scrutinizing gaze. Both figures remained motionless for an extended moment. He waited for her to cry. Instead, she shook her head gently and watched him with evident sadness, finally dropping her stare to the ground again. She refused to cry, to give him the satisfaction and to give in to her own vulnerability.

Shen grimaced and grunted with annoyance at her impassivity. "Stupid human girl," he spat. The bitter insult elicited absolutely no response from her, which only served to fuel Shen's infuriation. He shifted his hold and grabbed her by the hair, forcibly turning her head so that she was facing him again. He wanted to terrify her, to control her completely. "I could _destroy_ you," he continued. With a final growl he shoved her to the ground. 

Chihiro vaguely registered the sound of her body hitting the earth and the feel of the rough stones slashing at her skin, and squinted her eyes shut. She was too weak to react. Instead she rolled over on her side and lay that way, not moving an inch. She was beginning to lose what little hope remained…she was exhausted and battered and just too…alone…to keep fighting. In her mind, the same words repeated endlessly: _Haku left you, he didn't need you, and now you're alone…_

Shen began pacing once more, as was his common nervous habit. His madness grew with each passing moment, as his mood was continually shifting. He had Chihiro now, but was unsure of how to proceed. He debated returning to Yubaba's bathhouse, with the girl in tow as his prize for all to see. Or he could destroy her; leave her body for the river spirit to find. His inner dialogue was cut short, though, when he heard the girl let out a sharp, surprised gasp. 

He spun to face her, only to find that she had managed to push herself up to a position where she was elevated slightly above the ground, supported by her hands and shaking arms. She was staring up at the sky with her mouth agape. For a moment he thought that perhaps she was delirious, because she looked confused and a bit startled, but then he caught it, that flicker in her eye again. He followed her gaze and a glimmer of something in the distance caught his eye. A streak of silver light, twisting and winding its way across the sky…

Shen froze. He squinted and followed the form with his eyes. "It _can't_ be…" he whispered under his breath, disbelieving.He transformed immediately. After a few excruciating moments he was in his wolf form once more. He raised his pronounced muzzle into the air and deeply inhaled the smell of the winds. The northern wind bore the unmistakable scent of the river spirit, of Haku. A growl, deep and low, reverberated from within his chest cavity. _So he's returned…then its time, time for the last battle to begin,_ Shen thought. The wolf's blue eyes narrowed and he turned back towards the still unmoving form of Chihiro, who was staring at the sky with something akin to rapture, lost in a trance. 

Chihiro's breathing had grown ragged and intermittent, as though she had forgotten even how to breathe in her intense excitement. She lost her already precarious balance and her hands slipped from beneath her, causing her to fall a few inches, her face slamming into the dirt. It was enough to bring her back to her senses. She moaned and quickly cursed herself for being so inelegant and gawky, brushing dirt from the corners of her mouth as she did so. However, she was quick to return to the more pressing matter at hand. She inhaled deeply.

"Haku!" she yelled, surprised by the volume and conviction of her voice. She hadn't thought she had that much strength left in her tired body. She shouted his name again and again once more, her call carrying across the wind.

Shen rushed over to her, still in his wolf form, and growled. He stood over her, monolithic and intimidating, with his teeth bared and his tail swaying dangerously. It was the only warning she needed. She gulped and immediately ceased her yelling. Satisfied, Shen returned his attention back to the skies, his eyes following the line of silver as it grew ever closer.

Shen prepared himself for the oncoming storm of battle.

~~~

            Haku sped through the clouds, shaking off the tufts of mist that he passed through. Although he subconsciously savored the feel of gliding through the air, his mind was focused on one goal, to return to Chihiro as soon as possible. The warning given by the being from the Sphere of Chaos hung heavy on his heart. She was in danger, and it was his fault that she'd even returned to the Spirit World at all. 

            He descended slightly, lowering himself beneath the blanket of clouds in order to gain an unobstructed view of the ground below. He was traveling at breakneck speed, faster than he could recall ever having gone before. It was invigorating. The world whipped past underneath him, trees and fields and stones blending into one immense, jumbled tapestry. _I'll be there soon, Chihiro, I'm making good time, _he thought to himself. But another thought was nagging at the back of his mind…_what if I'm too late…_ He pushed the notion aside with an angry shake of his head, chiding himself for his pessimism.

             And then he heard it, as if in a dream, a voice soft and small, coming from a distance. "_Haku…Haku…_" It could be no one else. Chihiro. Chihiro was calling for him and it was the most wonderful of sounds. It was the sound of hope, it was his confirmation that if nothing else, she was still alive, and she was waiting for him.

            And despite the distance, it only took moments for him to be at her side again.

~~~

            Lin muttered under her breath, clearly frustrated, as she attempted to pluck a root from the ground. It was a stubborn little devil, quite intent on remaining exactly where it was. She dug her nails into the dry earth, ripping it apart to get nearer to the base of plant. She tugged on it again, but still it refused to budge. 

            "There's no food in this stupid wasteland!" she cried in exasperation, "and what little there is refuses to let me _eat it_!" She pulled at the root several more times before ultimately giving up, plopping herself down on the ground and continuing to glower at the plant fiercely. She began picking at the pieces of dirt that had lodged themselves under her fingernails, fuming all the while. "I'm hungry."

            "It's all right, dear, I'm sure Kaonashi will have found something by now. He's a very resourceful fellow after all, more so than you'd think. Very helpful and eager to please too. He should be back any moment," Zeniba replied with an easy smile.

            As if on cue, No-Face appeared from around the side of a small ridge of boulders about a hundred yards from where the two women sat. And in his arms was a wide assortment of seemingly edible plants.

            "So the freak really _is_ good for something," Lin remarked appraisingly, crossing her arms over her chest and tilting her head to the side.

            Zeniba clucked her tongue in a manner that suggested she disapproved of Lin's word choice, but was fast to put on a smile again as No-Face drew closer. She walked out to meet him with her arms open wide.

            "Wonderful, darling, you've done a splendid job. Oh, now let me help you with those," she grabbed several large, round green vegetables from him, "there now, that's better. Just set the rest over near Lin. Oh, and while you're there, perhaps you could help her with a certain troublesome root that she just can't seem to pull from the ground…" She smirked in Lin's direction.

            "Oh, so now the old witch is a comedian too," Lin retorted with a roll of her eyes and the wrinkling of her nose.

            Zeniba placed the vegetables she'd been holding on the ground and opened her mouth to respond, when a strong wind from the north blew past, ruffling her clothing and causing her to squint and raise a hand up to shield her eyes.

            "Pffh, well that's just great," Lin cried, pulling loose strands of hair out of her mouth and eyes, "stupid wind, where the hell did that come from anyway? It's been completely calm all day, and not a cloud in the sky…"

            "Shh, quiet!" Zeniba ordered. She peered back in the direction of their camp, where they'd left Chihiro. They were several miles from it now, having walked quite a distance, and the camp was out of sight. "Something is wrong," she whispered, her wrinkled features hardening and growing taut with worry. She stood silently and completely motionless, as though she were carved of stone, lifeless.   

            Suddenly she snapped to action, her left hand shooting into the air and then clenching into a fist around some unseen object. She brought her hand down slowly until it was level with her eyes and then opened it, palm up. Lying there was a single strand of short, dark hair.

            Lin watched with curiosity, startled by the old woman's actions and wondering if perhaps she had gone mad. "Whatcha got there?" she asked, strolling over to the witch's side. No-Face followed.

            "Wolf's hair," Zeniba replied evenly, evidently trying to maintain her composure as she grasped the piece of hair between the thumb and index finger of her right hand. She turned it in the air and examined it more closely. Her face grew white. "_Shen_" she murmured through chapped lips, "…this does not bode well. He is near…and Chihiro is in danger. We never should have left her, I was foolish," she said fervently, her voice growing low and frantic. She released the piece of hair, and it drifted away from them on the breeze. Zeniba placed her hand over her mouth and cast worried glances down at the ground. 

            No-Face mumbled agitatedly in his indecipherable language and tugged at Zeniba's sleeve, nodding his head back in the direction of their camp.

            "Chihiro's in trouble? Are you sure?" Lin asked with wide eyes. She didn't wait for an answer. "Well then come on, let's go! I think the freak has the right idea this time," she said, gesturing to No-Face who was still pulling on Zeniba's sleeve.

            Zeniba straightened back up to her full height- which admittedly still wasn't especially impressive, as she was much shorter than either of her companions- and set her jaw in a way that demanded respect. "Yes, you're right, of course. We must make haste and return to her as soon as possible. But first…" she trailed off, and closed her eyes. She performed a quick incantation under her breath. Finished, she nodded once and then addressed Lin and No-Face again. "Now, we shall go." She began walking.

            "Wait, what was that? That spell or whatever you just did?" Lin asked.

            "Just something to help level the playing field between Shen and Chihiro for the time being, in case we're too late. I can only hope that it helps protect her."

~~~

            She was nearly thrown back by the sheer force of his arrival, the tumult of wind that followed on his heels and the loud clap of noise as he jerked to a stop on the earth beside her. She held her breath as she stared up at him, his dragon scales glistening in the sun and his mane flowing in the wind.

            It had all happened so quickly. She'd called out to him, and then seemingly seconds later, there he was, beside her. She smiled, knowing that he'd heard her call.

            Her mouth opened and closed with words unsaid. He shifted and craned his long neck to look back at her as she stared up at him. And for a split second, there they were. Those eyes. Whether a dragon or a boy, they always stayed the same. And for an unbroken instant they held her they way they had in days long passed. The way they had when they'd met in the impossible world of her dreams. _The endless expanses of field, the quiet, innocent glances and touches, the way he walked towards her each night with the promise of unconditional love and understanding on his face_. It all came back to her now, and she was ashamed to have ever doubted him. 

            She gave the smallest, faintest of nods. Despite the minuteness of the action, it held forgiveness, tolerance. It was all the reassurance he needed, and he smiled back at her with his long dragon's teeth easily visible.

            The moment was destroyed by the howl of rage Shen released as he threw himself towards Haku. The beast's sharp claws sunk into the flesh of Haku's underbelly. Haku threw his mighty head backwards in pain, his mane streaming through the air as he fell. He hit the ground hard. Shen retreated several steps, panting as he began circling his injured opponent.

            Chihiro cried out and ran to Haku's side, placing a hand gently on the deep wound. Purplish-red blood spilled from the deep gash, sputtering and cascading down his stomach. Chihiro winced at the sight, averting her eyes even as she kept her hand in place, putting pressure on the cut to help ebb the flow of blood.

            When she finally pulled her hand away, it was coated in the thick, sticky liquid. She fought against an oncoming wave of nausea. Haku had coiled his long, snaky body up protectively and was staring at Shen. Finally, unexpectedly, he launched himself at the smaller, but equally powerful spirit. 

They collided in an explosion of fangs and claws and hair. Shen was on the defensive now, backing up as he lashed out with his powerful claws in an attempt to fend of Haku's increasingly vicious attacks. Again and again the two met. Haku landed several blows on the wolf, first slicing his back leg, then gashing his neck and throwing him to the ground where he slid into a boulder. There was a loud, distinct sound of bones cracking as Shen hit the stone with a sharp yowl. Haku turned quickly and lashed at the creature with his tail. Shen was pushed further back into the rock by the force of the attack and lay there unmoving for several moments. Chihiro could see little pools of blood forming on the ground underneath him and seeping through his thick coat. 

"Is he…dead?" she asked with a gulp.

Haku shook his head in response. Shen's hind leg was twitching ever so slightly, and his chest rose and fell almost imperceptibly with strained breathing. Chihiro watched in fascination as Shen's mangled body began to change, somehow. His hair seemed to be growing shorter, and his sharp eyes and long muzzle began to soften into gentler features. She realized then that he was transforming. It was obvious that the act was involuntary, and that he merely no longer possessed the strength to remain in his animal form. His body convulsed with the process and when it was through, he looked even more exhausted and battered than before.

The handsome young man was drenched in his own blood and was blanketed in bruises and scrapes. Yet he was able to push himself back to his feet. He stood with great effort, resting against the boulder for support and leaving bright streaks of red where he came into contact with it. Eventually, he took several steps away from his crutch, standing on his own now, though he swayed dangerously and looked as though he were about to collapse again. He spat some blood on the ground through the side of his mouth and then turned to give Chihiro his usual, cocky smile.

She recoiled. That smile that sent evil chills down her spine was made all the more disturbing by the young man's beaten appearance. 

"What's wrong, darling? Don't tell me you're frightened by a little _blood_," he mocked with a laugh. His voice cracked and he coughed violently. More blood spilled from his mouth, painting the dusty ground a vibrant red where the droplets hit. 

Haku growled and positioned himself between the now human Shen and Chihiro.

Shen scoffed. "Oh come on, now, this is hardly fair," he cried theatrically, raising a hand in the air and smiling all the while. "Don't tell me the _honorable_, _good_ river spirit is going to fight with the odds stacked so clearly in his favor. Transform, become a human again, and then we'll finish this."

"Don't be stupid," Chihiro said, finally finding her voice, "let's just get out of here, Haku. He can't follow us, he has no other choice than to go crawling back to Yubaba. He's too weak to do anything else."

Haku gave the appearance of not having heard her, and remained staring at the still smirking Shen instead. "Hey, listen!" she yelled, getting annoyed, "I said 'let's go,' I don't want to stay here!" She grabbed his tail and tugged it to get his attention.

He jerked his tail from her hands and snorted.

"Well, what's it going to be?" Shen prodded impatiently.

Haku answered by closing his eyes and beginning his own transformation. He glowed with a radiant light in passing, and then in the dragon's place stood Haku as a young man. He was still an impressive specimen, his green eyes alight and his muscular body poised to strike.

"Oh good, I knew you'd see it my way," Shen remarked as he wiped at a trickle of blood that threatened to spill into his eyes from his forehead.  

"I'm not doing this because you asked me to. I'm doing this because I want to destroy you for good, I want to make sure you never plague this world again," Haku sneered.

Shen laughed and raised both hands in the air, so that he was staring into the sky as if he were in prayer. All at once, he brought his hands down and a tremendous gust of wind hit Haku square in the chest. He was thrown backwards, where he landed in a startled Chihiro's arms. She let out a muffled "oof" as he smashed into her. Haku growled and pushed himself up, ready to launch his own attack at Shen. He raised a hand into the air, but Shen was too quick, and was running towards Haku before he had the chance to perform a spell. The older boy tackled Haku to the ground unexpected might. He landed on top of Haku and placed his hands around his throat. Shen squeezed tightly, throttling a struggling Haku. He smiled viciously. 

And then he felt a sharp pain searing through his skull and fell to the earth. He placed a hand on the tender spot where he'd been struck. He looked up, and was surprised to see Chihiro standing over him with a large rock in hand. She knelt down next to Haku protectively.

"Stupid human scum," Shen yelled. Without warning he pounced, diving for Chihiro. They were both surprised, however, when he was thrown back without ever having laid a hand on her. A faint shimmer hung in the air before her. She reached a hand out to touch it, but when she did, her hand passed easily through. She raised in eyebrow in consideration.

Shen was confused, but not deterred, and moved towards her again. His fist traveled quickly through the air toward her. Yet once again his attack was deflected and the silver shimmer surrounded the girl once more. 

Shen's face contorted with anger and madness as he stood only inches from the girl, yet unable to lay a hand on her. "What magic is this?" he snarled. His hands shook with rage and his voice quavered.

"My friends…" she whispered to herself, "Zeniba…" She was certain that this was the old witch's doing, and that she was being looked after, even though her other companions were not there in body. She shifted her gaze to look Shen in the eye and raised her voice for his benefit. "My friends are protecting me," she announced triumphantly, "and you can't so much as lay a finger on me. So now I'm going to do what I can to protect them!" And with that, she took the rock in her hand and drove the sharp point into his stomach. 

Shen didn't respond, merely continued staring at her while a gruggle rose up from his throat. He fell to the ground as if in slow motion, clutching to the girl as he descended. His eyes never left her own. And for the second time she saw it there…that glimmer of desperation those blue orbs held, his loneliness and madness and his fear all mixed into one. Suddenly she was horrified by her actions and looked back down at her hand that was covered in the blood of both Haku and now Shen. 

She fell to her knees beside the motionless Shen, and wondered if she'd killed him. Tears sprang to her eyes and she placed her head in between her hands, not caring that the blood was smearing across her forehead. 

A hand placed itself gently on her shoulder. Haku struggled to move his assaulted body closer to hers and whispered soft encouragement into her ear, promising that what she'd done was right, that there was no other way, and that he was sorry it had come to this.

They sat that way for some time, crouched on the ground next to each other over the deathly grey form of Shen, neither one of them at all sure of what to do next.

~~~

            Lin was clutching at her side as she continued to run, trying to keep up with Zeniba. She had no idea how the old hag kept up her speed, and wondered what else the witch was capable of that she didn't yet know. There was much more to her than Lin had originally thought, and she had developed a certain respect for her. 

            Lin inhaled again as she attempted to keep her breathing steady. Zeniba was several yards ahead of her, and had disappeared over a small hill. Lin reached the top of the mound of earth and when she looked down, she saw their old camp a little ways from its base. She gasped.

            "Chihiro!" she yelled, "Chihiro, we're here!"

            She sprinted, finally catching up to Zeniba as they reached the spot where Chihiro and Haku sat on the ground, clinging to each other and splattered with blood and sweat.

            Haku and Chihiro looked up the new arrivals, and each gave a faint, sad smile.

            "I'm so glad you're okay!" Lin cried, putting a hand on Chihiro's shoulder, "both of you," she added, with a smile at Haku. He was surprised by her sudden act of affection. He'd always had the feeling that Lin had never entirely forgiven, or trusted him, despite what she may have said. But he could tell she was being honest now, there was no doubt in his mind that she was genuinely happy and relieved to see him. He smiled back, happy that they'd reached an understanding.

            Zeniba and No-Face approached the two. "I'm glad to see that you are all right," Zeniba said.

            "Thanks to you," Chihiro responded. "I don't what that was- that _shield_, I mean- or how you did it, but it worked. He would have killed me, if you hadn't protected me." Tears filled her eyes again and she buried herself in Zeniba's arms. "Oh, Granny…it was…it…"

            "Shh, shh," the old woman comforted. She patted Chihiro gently on the back and glanced over at the prone form of Shen. "I see you both managed to hold your own against him. Tell me, then, tell me what happened here."

            Haku sighed and began, first telling them about his entire journey into the Sphere of Chaos, and then the battle with Shen, up until the present.

            The group sat in silence afterward, each contemplating the situation. Finally, Zeniba made an announcement.

            "You've endured horrible battles and felt your share of pain and terror, but unfortunately, you've not yet completed your task. Haku, I know that you still feel the pull of the Dream World, and that your greatest desire is still to return there and save it. And Chihiro, if recent events are any indication, I'm sure you will refuse to leave his side, and that you will see this journey through. And I will not stop either of you from proceeding. But, _I_ will go no further." Chihiro gasped and looked up at her with a hurt, confused expression. "I'm sorry," Zeniba continued, "but I must return, I've been gone too long already, and I must take Shen back with me."

            "What?! He's alive?" Chihiro exclaimed.

            "Yes, but just barely. I will return him to the Spirit World, and I will tend to his wounds, and then keep watch over him. Don't worry, in my care, he will have no power. He's arrogant, but not so arrogant as to believe that he could defeat me. Especially not after he was brought down by a single, human girl. That wound you dealt him was very nearly fatal." She smiled at Chihiro. "His recovery will be long and difficult, and I will decide what to do with him once it's done."

            Chihiro nodded, understanding why Zeniba couldn't continue the journey with them.

            "Well, don't worry, I'm sticking with you guys!" Lin declared. "I'll come with you the rest of the way. After all, things are just starting to get exciting!"

            "Actually, Lin, I need you and Kaonashi to return with me. I'll need your help dealing with Shen. And besides, Haku and Chihiro are stronger than the once were, they'll be fine."

            Lin was about to argue, but thought better of it when she realized it was useless. "Sorry, guys, but I guess she's right on this one. I'll miss you two, though. Please, be safe."

            Haku and Chihiro nodded. 

~~~

            Zeniba, No-Face and Lin stayed the night with Chihiro and Haku and helped treat their battle wounds and watch over Shen during that time. 

            The companions awoke as the yellow-grey aura of dawn spread across the land. There was a somber feeling in the air. The task of biding each other farewell was especially difficult, as they'd only recently been completely united. Hugs and heartfelt good-byes were exchanged as they prepared to go their separate ways. 

            Zeniba was the last to speak with Chihiro. 

            "You'll be fine, that is one thing I know beyond a doubt. You're made of much tougher stuff than you believe," Zeniba told the girl, placing a hand on her cheek in a very maternal manner. "Oh, and one more thing," she reached into her pocket, "this has been in my possession ever since you first sent Lin to find me and bring help. I've been meaning to give it back." She opened her palm and there was Chihiro's iridescent hair tie that Zeniba had given her after her very first visit to the Spirit World. Chihiro smiled happily and took the little band from Zeniba, immediately putting her hair into its usual ponytail.

            "Thank you," Chihiro replied, "for…everything. I'll see you soon, I promise, but right now…I have to stay with Haku. But we'll come back to see you as soon as his task is done."

            "I look forward to it," the old witch replied with wink.

            They embraced one last time. Finally, Yubaba, No-Face and Lin turned and headed off in the direction of the Spirit World. After some distance, Lin turned to wave back at Chihiro and Haku and shouted, "Don't have too much fun without me!"

            Chihiro laughed and smiled up at Haku. He put his arm around her shoulder.

            "Well, it looks like it's just you and me now," he said.

            "Yup," she responded, "but it feels sort of right…doesn't it?"

            He clasped her hand, and they prepared themselves for the rest of their journey.

~~~

Author's note: So there you have it, I finally managed to get this chapter done. Again, sorry for the massive wait, but life just sort of got in the way. I have no idea when I will have time to finish my next chapter, so I will make no promises. But keep in mine that reviews can be great inspiration for a writer…so keep 'em coming! Thanks very much to everyone who's reading this story, you guys are great! I imagine that there will be somewhere between 2 and 5 more chapters of this story, depending on how long I make them, and an epilogue. So don't worry, your almost there! So look out for my next chapter in the future! Bye for now!

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